In light of September being Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month, The CardioVascular Coalition (CVC) and Cardiovascular Systems Inc are launching separate campaigns to increase awareness about the disease and the treatment options available to avoid amputation.

“Early diagnosis and clinically appropriate intervention of PAD are critically important for our patients who, if undiagnosed and untreated, can face limb loss as a result of their disease. Sadly, too many Americans experience limb loss as a result of PAD despite the fact that treatments and technologies are available that can prevent amputation,” shares Jeffrey G. Carr, MD, FACC, FSCAI, an Interventional Cardiologist and Endovascular Specialist and the physician lead on the CardioVascular Coalition, in a media release from CVC.

“PAD Awareness Month is an important opportunity to increase awareness because, across the board, Americans know far too little about PAD. By supporting PAD Awareness Month, we hope to change that,” he adds.

CVC offers a website with information regarding its PAD Awareness Month activities. In addition, it offers the hashtag #PADAwareness on Twitter.

Medical device manufacturer Cardiovascular Systems Inc, in a separate media release, announces the launch of its PAD public awareness and advocacy campaign, Take A Stand Against Amputation.

Via the campaign, the St Paul, Minn-based company, which develops solutions for treating vascular and coronary disease, aims to focus on early screening and treatment, and the various treatment options that are available, to help reduce the number of amputations resulting from PAD.

The site includes a PAD risk factor checklist for patients to assess their risk for PAD, as well as a tool to help them find a physician who diagnoses and treats PAD. For physicians, the site includes various education materials they can download and give to their patients.

“Considering the high number of people who suffer from PAD and the seriousness of its effects, this disease is disturbingly overlooked,” says Mary Yost, president/co-founder of THE SAGE GROUP, a leading PAD research consulting firm, in the release. “People should be aware of the risks, and talk to a physician if they think they may have PAD.”

[Source(s): The CardioVascular Coalition, Cardiovascular Systems Inc, PR Newswire, Business Wire]