Screen and Stage Legend Phylicia Rashad in Miami to Urge Residents to Seek Treatment to Protect Themselves From Future Heart Attack or Stroke

Screen and Stage Legend Phylicia Rashad in Miami to Urge Residents to Seek Treatment to Protect Themselves From Future Heart Attack or Stroke

Miami Named #16 P.A.D. 'Hot Spot' in First-Ever Ranking of Peripheral Artery

Disease in the U.S.

WHAT: September is P.A.D. Awareness Month and on Thursday, September 25,

Tony winner, recent 2008 Emmy nominee and one of America's
best-loved TV moms, The Cosby Show's Phylicia Rashad, will be in
Miami to share her personal experience with P.A.D. and the toll
it has taken on her family.

Eight of Rashad's family members, including her father and
grandparents, died from stroke or heart attack -- which was
believed to be associated with P.A.D. -- and her family members
were not aware of the condition. P.A.D. affects about 8 million
Americans and more than doubles their risk of heart attack and
stroke.

The "P.A.D: Make the Connection" disease awareness campaign, now
targeting U.S. cities with the highest prevalence of the disease
-- P.A.D. "Hot Spots" -- is based on research conducted by the
National Minority Quality Forum. The "P.A.D: Make the Connection"
campaign encourages Miami to learn more about P.A.D. symptoms and
treatments on www.PADfacts.org. The site also includes the full
listing of P.A.D. "Hot Spots" and screening events across the
country.

WHO: Phylicia Rashad, actor, Tony Award winner and recent 2008
Emmy nominee

Manuel R. Mayor, M.D., F.A.C.C., Assistant Professor of Clinical
Medicine at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami,
and Interventional Cardiologist at Miami International Cardiology
Consultants, Inc.

Both available for one-on-one interviews

WHEN: Thursday, September 25, 2008

WHY: P.A.D. is a chronic condition in which a person has poor
circulation in the legs that is indicative of similar problems in
the arteries leading to the heart and/or brain. People suffering
from P.A.D. are at more than double the risk of heart attack or
stroke and four times as likely to die from heart disease
including heart attack or stroke. Many Americans are not aware of
the disease, its risk factors and the importance of treatment.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Sarah Smedley, (212) 229-8488; ssmedley@ccapr.com
Alice Sofield, (202) 609-6006; asofield@ccapr.com

The P.A.D. "Hot Spots" rankings are based on research conducted by the National Minority Quality Forum. The study population included participants that completed the standardized health examination in a mobile exam center (MEC) for the Fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES IV, a cross-sectional survey that provides national estimates of disease prevalence. "P.A.D: Make the Connection" is an educational initiative supported by the sanofi-aventis/Bristol-Myers Squibb Partnership in collaboration with the P.A.D. Coalition.

PRNewswire -- Sept. 11

Source: sanofi-aventis/Bristol-Myers Squibb Partnership

Web site: http://www.padfacts.org/

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