September 2006 | Vol. 24, No. 9

SVU Participates in Stay in Circulation PAD Campaign

SVU is actively participating in “Stay in Circulation,” the first national public awareness program to help Americans learn about Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), including how to help consumers reduce their risk, and take steps to stay in circulation. SVU is getting involved in the campaign through a variety of activities including educating the SVU membership about the “Stay in Circulation” PAD national public awareness campaign to stay active and healthy. SVU urges its members to get involved in the “Stay in Circulation” campaign and inform their patients and others in their community about this new national public awareness campaign regarding Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

September 18-22, 2006, is “Stay in Circulation Week.” Throughout the week, various national organizations, such as SVU members, will host events to raise awareness about peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which occurs when arteries-particularly in the legs-become clogged with fatty deposits that limit blood flow to the limbs. Possible “Stay in Circulation Week” events will include free PAD screenings and informational sessions at hospitals, clinics, and senior centers. As of September 5, individuals also can visit the www.aboutpad.org website to learn more about PAD, its signs, symptoms, and risk factors.

The “Stay in Circulation” campaign is being launched by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)—part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)—to raise public and health care provider awareness about the potentially deadly affects of PAD and its association with other cardiovascular diseases. NHLBI is launching the national public awareness campaign in cooperation with the PAD Coalition, an alliance of more than 40 national organizations and professional societies, including SVU, that are concerned with PAD.

One in every 20 Americans over the age of 50 has PAD, a condition that raises the risk for heart attack or stoke. Many PAD patients do not have the typical signs and symptoms of the disease, such as leg pain. Those who do experience symptoms often do not report them, believing they are a natural part of aging or due to another cause.

For details on how SVU members can participate in the “Stay in Circulation” Campaign in their local community, members can go to either the www.aboutpad.org website or the SVU website at www.svunet.org to download the “Stay in Circulation Community Action Tool Kit” that will provide the SVU member with everything they need to get involved in this public education campaign about peripheral arterial disease (PAD). SVU welcomes hearing by email (stayincirculation@svunet.org) about how its members participated in the “Stay in Circulation Campaign” so that we can report on your activities in a future e-Spectrum newsletter. Thank you for your participation in the “Stay in Circulation Campaign.”