Media
Press Release - September 14, 2006
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gwen Twillman, 301-524-1535
P.A.D. COALITION APPLAUDS UNITED STATES SENATE RESOLUTION
DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 18-22 AS NATIONAL PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE AWARENESS WEEK
Health organizations and community groups encouraged to inform at-risk Americans about the dangers of peripheral arterial disease
Washington, DC – In an effort to increase awareness of peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.), a common cardiovascular disease that affects more than 8 million Americans, the United States Senate passed a resolution designating September 18-22 as National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Week. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Byron Dorgan (D- ND), Co-Chairs of the 109th Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, introduced the resolution that was passed by the Senate in August.
P.A.D. occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits, reducing blood flow to the legs. As a result, P.A.D. may cause leg pain when walking and lead to disability, amputation and a poor quality of life. The blocked arteries found in people with P.A.D. are an indication that they are likely to have narrowed arteries to the heart and the brain. Thus, P.A.D. is a powerful warning sign of existing cardiovascular disease and raises the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke.
“P.A.D. is an alarming disease with dire implications for so many Americans,” stated Senator Crapo. “A national P.A.D. week will make more Americans aware of the disease in hopes they can improve their cardiovascular health or to seek care.”
“A national awareness week for P.A.D. is important,” Senator Dorgan said. “Most people with P.A.D. do not have noticeable symptoms, and those who do have symptoms often do not recognize them as such. A national P.A.D. week will help raise awareness about this serious disease, including how it can be detected and treated.”
To address this serious and growing health problem, the P.A.D. Coalition has formed a strategic partnership with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health to launch a P.A.D. awareness campaign this September. Titled Stay in Circulation: Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D., this campaign will provide resource materials and tools for community groups, medical professionals and health organizations to inform Americans about the risks, symptoms and treatment of P.A.D. For a preview of the upcoming campaign and tools for increasing awareness of P.A.D. this September and beyond, visit www.padcoalition.org.
“Early diagnosis and proper treatment can improve quality of life and reduce cardiovascular events for people with P.A.D. But, at the present time, national research studies have shown that patients with P.A.D. are less likely to receive lifesaving treatments compared to patients with other better known forms of cardiovascular disease,” said Alan T. Hirsch, M.D., Chair of the P.A.D. Coalition, Professor of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and Director, Vascular Medicine Program, Abbott Northwestern’s Vascular Center, Minneapolis, MN. “Furthermore, most patients with P.A.D. are not aware of their diagnosis or the seriousness of the disease. This national spotlight on P.A.D. will help us improve the nation’s cardiovascular health and save limbs and lives. We are most appreciative to the U. S. Senate for helping to draw attention to this devastating disease.”
P.A.D. affects both women and men and can strike adults of any age. However, the risk of P.A.D. is increased in those over the age of 50 and in those who smoke or have smoked; have diabetes, high blood pressure, or abnormal cholesterol; are of African American ethnicity; or have a personal history of heart disease or stroke.
A media briefing will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The briefing is geared towards health reporters and will include brief presentations about P.A.D., its impact on the nation’s cardiovascular health and quality of life, and new advances in treatment. To attend, please RSVP to info@PADCoalition.org by Monday, September 18.
The P.A.D. Coalition is supported by the following National Sponsors: the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership and Cordis Endovascular, a division of Cordis Corporation. For information on P.A.D., visit www.padcoalition.org or call 1-866-PADINFO (723-4636).
About the P.A.D. Coalition
The Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Coalition is an alliance of leading health organizations, vascular health professional societies, and government agencies united to raise public and health professional awareness about lower extremity P.A.D. Established in 2004, the P.A.D. Coalition is coordinated by the Vascular Disease Foundation (www.vdf.org), a national, not-for-profit section 501(c)(3) organization. The P.A.D. Coalition seeks to improve the prevention, early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation of people with, or at risk for, P.A.D.
Members of the P.A.D. Coalition
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners • American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation • American Academy of Physician Assistants • American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation • American Association of Critical Care Nurses • American College of Cardiology • American College of Clinical Pharmacy • American College of Foot & Ankle Orthopedics & Medicine • American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons • American College of Physicians • American Diabetes Association • American Geriatrics Society • American Heart Association • American Medical Women’s Association • American Osteopathic Association • American Podiatric Medical Association • American Radiological Nurses Association • American Society of Hematology • American Vascular Association • American Venous Forum • Association for the Advancement of Wound Care • Association of Vascular and Interventional Radiographers • Canadian Chapter of the Society for Vascular Nursing • Canadian Society of Vascular Surgery • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Indian Health Service • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute • National Hispanic Council on Aging • National Lipid Association • National Medical Association • Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society • Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association • Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery • Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology • Society for Vascular Nursing • Society for Vascular Surgery • Society for Vascular Ultrasound • Society of General Internal Medicine • Society of Interventional Radiology • Spirit of Women • Vascular Disease Foundation
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