The project, which is an acronym for Improve Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Club, aims to help doctors diagnose Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) among diabetic patients.
It also aims to disseminate information about PAD among people who are at risk of the disease.
"Your objective of improving the quality of life of people with PAD is certainly commendable," says Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the DOH National Center for Disease Prevention and Control in her letter addressed to Otsuka.
"The government alone cannot do the job of reaching to all these patients, as such your effort as a pharmaceutical industry doing your share in alleviating the sufferings of our people is very much welcome," she added.
PAD is a problem with blood flow in the arteries due to the build-up of fatty deposits (atherosclerosis). Over time, the deposit builds up and blocks the smaller arteries first, such as in the legs.
When not enough blood is supplied to the muscles due to the blockage, a person will experience claudication.
Claudication, which is the common complaint of people with PAD, is a discomfort that is sometimes described as fatigue, numbness, cramping or may actually be a severe pain that occurs in leg muscles after walking a certain distance.
Diabetes and smoking are the strongest risk factors for PAD. Patients who are hypertensive and have high cholesterol levels are also prone to the disease.
Under the i-PAD Awareness Campaign, patients can avail themselves of free ABI (ankle brachial index) screening and monofilament testing.
ABI screening is a patient-friendly, inexpensive technique that compares blood pressures between the patient’s arms and ankles.
The ABI test is a useful tool as it not only provides clinicians with a means of identifying PAD, but also with information regarding the severity of PAD that can assist in guiding a treatment approach.
Once diagnosed, patients will be given cilostazol samples, an antiplatelet drug which is also used to treat PAD.
Studies have shown that diabetic and non-diabetic patients with PAD respond favorably to cilostazol. Patients are also given free patient footcare guide and other relevant materials.
For more inquiries on PAD and the i-PAD Awareness Club, patients may call the i-PAD Connect hotline at 811-i-PAD for Metro Manila (811-4-723) or 1-800-811-i-PAD for provincial areas (1-800-811-4-723).