Media
Press Release - September 28
PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE: CANADA’S SILENT EPIDEMIC
Medical Groups Join Together to Educate Canadians
About Peripheral Arterial Disease - Clogged Arteries in the Legs
Calgary — One in 20 adults has peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D), a largely unrecognized condition which puts them at risk for heart attack and stroke. The symptoms of P.A.D., such as fatigue, heaviness, pain and cramping in the leg muscles when walking that go away with rest, are often mistaken for signs of aging and ignored. More often, the disease is silent, causing no noticeable symptoms.
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.
To address this serious and growing health problem, the Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery (CSVS) and the Canadian Chapter of the Society for Vascular Nursing (CCSVN) have joined the P.A.D. Coalition, an alliance of international health organizations, professional medical societies and government agencies that have united to raise public and health professional awareness of P.A.D.
At its annual conference in Calgary on September 28-30, the CSVS and the CCSVN will be promoting the recent launch of a P.A.D. awareness campaign titled Stay in Circulation: Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D. Sponsored by the United States’ federal government in partnership with the P.A.D. Coalition, the campaign encourages men and women over age 50 to be alert to P.A.D. symptoms, to talk to their doctors about their risks, and to ask about a simple test called the ankle brachial index (ABI). The ABI test compares blood pressure measurements in the ankle with those in the arm. It can help detect reduced blood flow to the lower legs, a sign of P.A.D.
The CSVS and CSSVN are working to ensure that the Stay in Circulation messages reach at risk Canadians. “It is important that we raise awareness of this silent disease in Canada,” says Marge Lovell, co-chair of the P.A.D. Coalition. “This disease often goes undiagnosed because people don’t talk to their doctors about the symptoms they are experiencing, assuming its just part of the aging process. The key is early diagnosis and proper treatment which can improve quality of life and reduce cardiovascular events for people with P.A.D.”
“It is important to identify patients with P.A.D. as treatment is available to improve walking and to reduce the risk of serious complications. The diagnosis can be easily confirmed by a simple test,” said Thomas Lindsay, President of the Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery. “It is important for patients to visit their doctor to get up to date advice on treatment possibilities to reduce symptoms and risks associated with this 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 aboriginal ancestry; or have a personal history of heart disease or stroke.
In addition to the symptoms that occur when walking, people with severe P.A.D. can experience pain in the feet or legs that disturbs sleep or skin wounds that don’t heal properly.
For more information about P.A.D. visit www.aboutPAD.org and www.padcoalition.org. 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.
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.
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