December 2005

ACC/AHA announce new peripheral arterial disease guidelines

Increasing incidence of impaired blood flow leading to amputations, heart attack, stroke and kidney failure

In an effort to promote and emphasize earlier detection and better treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association will hold a telebriefing to announce the implementation of guidelines that standardize the clinical approach among several medical disciplines seeing increasing rates of PAD in their patients.

More than 12 million people in the United States are affected by PAD, which is generally defined as diseases of the arteries that supply blood to the legs, feet, kidneys, and intestines. Interference with blood flow can lead to amputation of the extremities, as well as heart attack, stroke, and impairment of kidney function.

The Guideline writing committee was chaired by Dr. Alan Hirsch, MD, FACC and co-chaired by Dr. Norman Hertzer and Dr. Ziv Haskal. In addition to the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, the Guidelines were developed in collaboration with and approved by:



When:
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
2:00 PM EST
Dial-in number : 1-800-442-5794, passcode # 846989

The Executive Summary of the Guidelines will be posted on www.acc.org and www.heart.org at 2 p.m.
The Press Kit materials (embargoed until 2 p.m.EST) will be available at 8 a.m., EST.

Media contacts:
Amy Murphy
American College of Cardiology
301-581-3476
[email protected]

Carole Bullock
American Heart Association
214-706-1279
[email protected]

Editors Note: ACC and AHA spokespersons are available for interviews prior to and after the telebriefing.