Campaign Backgrounder
Peripheral Arterial Disease—A Disease on the Rise
In the United States, more than eight million Americans suffer from peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.)—hardening of the arteries (also known as "atherosclerosis") in the limbs, often the legs. P.A.D. is caused by the same risk factors that cause heart disease.
Those at risk 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. However, P.A.D. is still largely unknown, often unrecognized, and regarded by many as an inevitable consequence of aging.
The Stay in Circulation Campaign
Stay in Circulation is the first national awareness campaign to increase public and health care provider awareness of P.A.D. and its association with other cardiovascular diseases. Adults over age 50—the campaign's primary audience—are at risk for P.A.D. Stepping up awareness of P.A.D. among the target audience and the health care community will help keep Americans active and healthy so they can continue spending time with their families and friends and participating in the activities they enjoy.
The Stay in Circulation campaign is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), 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 raise awareness of P.A.D.
Campaign Materials
The campaign offers a wide variety of resources to help individuals and local communities take steps to learn about P.A.D. The following resources can be downloaded from the campaign Web page, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad:
- Educational materials in English and Spanish for individuals to learn about P.A.D. and how to reduce their risk including:
- Fact sheets about P.A.D.
- Posters and print public service announcements
- Radio public service announcements
- An educational DVD (available in VHS format upon request) featuring real people's stories about living with P.A.D.
- The Community Action Tool Kit—a collection of resources to help organizations and partners plan their own Stay in Circulation activities in local communities.
- A marketing flyer describing all of the available campaign materials.
Campaign Partners
NHLBI is working in cooperation with the P.A.D. Coalition, a group of more than 40 national organizations and professional societies to develop and launch the Stay in Circulation campaign. 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. It provides expert guidance and insights about the scientific and analytical underpinnings of the campaign, as well as the development of campaign messages, materials, and tactics and works with NHLBI to implement campaign activities.
The campaign is also working to secure partnerships with:
- National nonprofit organizations reinforced at the local level to extend the campaign's reach and message
- Corporate entities to expand resources and enhance the visibility of Stay in Circulation
Campaign Activities
Activities to support the Stay in Circulation campaign are aimed at increasing awareness of P.A.D. and include:
- Stay in Circulation Week, an annual observance in September marked by local screenings, events, and promotions to prompt Americans to:
- Learn about P.A.D.;
- Talk to their health care providers about P.A.D.;
- Visit the campaign web page, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad, for information, including questions to ask their health care providers; and
- Support P.A.D. screenings and other campaign related events in their community.
- National and Local Partnership Development, that includes collaborations with national, nonprofit, community-based, and private sector organizations, that can foster cross-promotional opportunities and increase access to media, promotional and distribution channels, and association with well-known and respected brands relevant to Stay in Circulation target audiences.
- Education and Outreach to Health Care Providers. Through the P.A.D. Coalition, the Stay in Circulation campaign will ensure that health care providers who treat those at risk for P.A.D. have the materials and resources needed to talk to their patients about P.A.D. and what steps they can take to lower their risk.
For more information about Stay in Circulation, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad.
