Stay in Circulation Week
Sample Press Release

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[Insert Organization logo]	[Insert Stay in Circulation logo]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: [Insert contact name] [Insert contact phone]

[Insert Organization] Kicks Off Stay in Circulation Week in [Insert location], Part of a National Campaign to Raise Awareness about Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.)

One in 20 Adults Over Age 50 has P.A.D.—A Disease that Raises the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

CITY, STATE – [Insert Organization] announced today the kick-off of Stay in Circulation Week, a week of activities aimed at increasing public awareness about peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.).  Local events including [insert examples of events] will take place throughout the week.  This effort is part of Stay in Circulation:  Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D., a national awareness campaign from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute aimed at helping adults over the age of 50 learn about P.A.D. 

“Stay in Circulation Week is an opportunity for our community to learn about P.A.D. and the steps everyone can take to reduce their risk for this deadly disease,” said [insert Organization contact].  “We’re excited to be part of the national effort to raise awareness about P.A.D. and to help Americans stay in circulation and continue to enjoy life.”

P.A.D., a common and treatable disease, is on the rise among midlife and older Americans.  In the United States, more than 8 million Americans suffer from P.A.D., which develops when leg arteries become clogged with plaque—fatty deposits that limit blood flow to the legs.  Just like clogged arteries in the heart, clogged arteries in the legs raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.  Many of those with P.A.D. do not experience symptoms and often do not readily seek treatment.  Timely detection and treatment of P.A.D. can restore mobility; decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke; and possibly save lives.

P.A.D. is caused by the same risk factors that lead to heart disease.  People who are at risk for P.A.D. include anyone over the age of 50, especially African Americans; those who smoke or who have smoked; and those who have diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or a personal or family history of vascular disease, heart attack, or stroke.

[Insert Organization boilerplate.]

For more information about Stay in Circulation Week events in [insert name of city/town/area], visit [insert Organization Web site].

Stay in Circulation:  Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D. is a national awareness campaign to increase public and health care provider awareness about peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) and its association with other cardiovascular diseases.  The campaign is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute—part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—in cooperation with the P.A.D. Coalition, an alliance of national organizations and professional societies united to improve the health and health care of people with P.A.D.  For more information, visit www.aboutpad.org.

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