BD is putting a fresh spin on an old awareness drive, returning to the 12-year-old “Love Your Limbs” campaign to mark Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month.
The company, which sells PAD products including the Rotarex atherectomy system, said in this week’s campaign relaunch announcement that it is working to improve the diagnosis of the vascular disease through education and partnerships.
Among the campaign’s efforts is an initiative to offer free ankle-brachial index screenings. The index compares blood pressure readings in the ankle and arm to identify cases of PAD, a condition defined by restricted blood supply to leg muscles.
BD supported a series of community screenings in June, partnering with health system Ochsner Health for an event in New Orleans. People who screened positively for PAD were connected with the nonprofit The Way to My Heart for further support and education.
The company is also developing a data-driven dashboard and “heatmap” to identify locations with high amputation rates. Because untreated PAD can lead to amputation, the interactive tool could help target interventions where they can have the most impact.
“Too many lives are lost or forever changed because PAD is diagnosed too late—or not at all,” Rob Righi, vice president and general manager of the vascular platform at BD Peripheral Intervention, said in the announcement. “With Love Your Limbs, we’re breaking barriers to detection and care by meeting patients where they are and building bridges between communities, providers and the healthcare system.”
C.R. Bard started the “Love Your Limbs” campaign in 2013. BD inherited the campaign when it bought Bard for $24 billion in 2017. Since then, BD has continued to add to the campaign, including by creating a set of videos about PAD in 2019.
The activities are centered on raising awareness about an indication that forms part of a significant growth opportunity for BD. In February, the company named (PDF) peripheral vascular disease as one of the higher-growth markets that it is targeting, saying at the time that the addressable market is worth more than $7 billion.
The company reported (PDF) 4.5% third-quarter growth in its peripheral intervention unit last month. BD said its Rotarex system, in particular, drove “strong growth” in peripheral vascular disease. Physicians use Rotarex to remove fatty deposits and blood clots to open narrow or blocked arteries in PAD patients.