Newswise — Peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) is a common cardiovascular disease that affects approximately 9 million Americans. The P.A.D. Coalition, an alliance of leading health organizations united together to improve the health and health care of patients with P.A.D., has released new patient resources on P.A.D. including a series of Spanish language patient education resources available free for health care professionals and the general public.
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 muscle pain when walking and lead to disability, amputation and a poor quality of life. Blocked arteries found in people with P.A.D. can be a red flag that other arteries, including those in the heart and brain, may also be blocked " increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
The Spanish language resources are available on the Coalition's Web site, www.padcoalition.org/resources/patient.php, and include a series of nine handouts that health care providers may download in PDF format and copy for their patients. The materials provide easy-to-understand, science-based information to help patients and their families better manage P.A.D. Topics cover the basics of PAD care, including starting a walking program; quitting smoking; managing high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes; preventing blood clots; and undergoing special procedures.
"The P.A.D. Coalition strives to provide effective clinical practice tools to help clinicians educate their patients with or at risk for P.A.D.," said P.A.D. Coalition co-chair, Marge Lovell, RN, Clinical Trials Nurse at the London Health Sciences Centre in London, ON. "By empowering our patients with appropriate educational tools and helping them properly manage their disease, we can reduce the devastating consequences of P.A.D., including heart attack, stroke and amputation."
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, particularly 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.
To increase public awareness of P.A.D., the P.A.D. Coalition and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health are conducting a national awareness campaign titled "Stay in Circulation: Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D" . The campaign provides tools for consumers, community groups, medical professionals and health organizations to inform Americans about the risks, symptoms and treatment of P.A.D. New Stay in Circulation resources are available online at http://www.aboutPAD.org.
Development of the Spanish language P.A.D. patient education series was supported by the Medtronic Foundation's Patient Link program.
For information on P.A.D., visit http://www.PADCoalition.org or call 866.PAD.INFO (866.723.4636).
About the P.A.D. CoalitionThe Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Coalition is an alliance of leading health organizations, 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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