Helpful Resources
We’ve collected some additional links and information that can help you better prevent and manage vascular diseases.
Resources
Educational Resources
- Vascular Disease Information and Educational Flyers from Vascular Cures
- Information on Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) from the American Heart Association (AHA)
- Information on vascular conditions from the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS)
- Patient education materials from the Society for Vascular Nursing (SVN)
Who Treats
Vascular Disease?
General practitioners, like your primary care provider, can help patients navigate next steps in their vascular health care. Vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and interventional radiologists may be involved in treating vascular conditions.
We highly encourage all patients with vascular conditions to consult with their health care provider and at least one vascular specialist before making treatment decisions.
Healthy Habits
Exercise
- Steve’s Story – A PAD patient talks about his vascular health journey.
- Exercise as Medicine – A research article from the Society for Vascular Medicine
- Focus on Walking – Walking to improve vascular health and reduce symptoms of PAD
- Supervised Exercise Therapy for PAD – An overview of how supervised exercise can be prescribed as a treatment.
- Exercise for Older Adults – Resources from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Quitting Smoking
- The Untold Story of Smoking and Vascular Disease – Smoking cessation can help you save your limbs.
- Life-Saving Tips About Smoking and PAD – Studies show that smoking half a pack of cigarettes every day may increase the risk of PAD by 30 to 50%. But why?
If you’d like to learn more on how to take the next step in quitting smoking, try these smoking cessation programs:
- Quit Assist – A collection of resources from the CDC with tips from former smokers Stories about patient’s with Buerger’s Disease.
- Smokefree.gov – Resources available for veterans, women, teens, individuals 60 and over and Spanish-speakers. Learn how to build a “quit program” and access other tools and tips.
Nutrition
Choose the best diet for your vascular disease and seek expert advice on vascular-friendly nutrition. For more vascular-friendly recipes, check out these videos:
Diabetes Management
- Prediabetes Risk Test – Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal. The sooner you know you have prediabetes, the sooner you can take action to reverse it and prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
- Living with Type 2 Diabetes Program – Created for those recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. This program offers participants an opportunity to learn more about the disease and how to manage it over 12 month-period. This program is available in English and Spanish.
- Know Diabetes by Heart – A collection of resources from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
- Diabetes Food Hub – Resources on recipes, meal planning and creating a budget-friendly grocery list.
- Life-Saving Tips for Managing Diabetes & PAD – Learn more about the link between diabetes and peripheral artery disease.
- PAD and Foot Care – Foot care is important for people who have PAD and diabetes. If not managed well, diabetes can cause poor blood flow or circulation to feet and legs.
Insurance Help and Supportive Programs
- The Patient Advocate Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides direct services to patients with chronic, life-threatening, and debilitating diseases to help access the care and treatment recommended by their doctor. Their services include case management assistance, an education resource library, and co-pay assistance.
- RxOutreach.org is a non-profit pharmacy that can help with affordable medications.
- The Patient Advocacy Network (PAN) works to help underinsured people with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases get the medications and treatments they need by assisting with their out-of-pocket costs and advocating for improved access and affordability. Use the search tool to review the ever-evolving list of disease funds, which may include vascular diseases.
Prescription Assistance
Unfortunately, there is no standard enrollment processes. Someone at your health care provider’s office, like a case manager, nurse, or medical assistant, may be able to help you enroll. You can ask your local pharmacist for help, too.
In the meantime, here are some steps to try:
1. Search the name of your drug on GoodRx, to find coupons and pricing tips.
2. Do an internet search using your medication’s name & “assistance program” or “savings program”
3. Call your medication’s manufacturer and ask if they have an assistance program
4. Check out other resources for prescription help below:
- Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs is designed to help Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for the program (Some restrictions apply.)
- The National Council on Aging Benefits Checkup is a free service that can help you find possible cost savings on your prescriptions.
- Find additional assistance programs that may be available in your state via RxAssist.org and NeedyMeds.org
Get Involved in Research
One way to get involved in vascular disease research is to participate in a clinical trial. What is a clinical trial and what does it mean to participate?
The ClinicalTrials.gov web site provides current information about clinical research studies to patients, their families and caregivers, healthcare professionals, and the public. Each study record includes a summary of the study protocol, including the purpose, recruitment status, and eligibility criteria.
Learn how to find a clinical trial:
PAD Patient Support
Show Me PAD is a decision aid for patients with peripheral artery disease. This resource helps patients become better informed to help them work with their provider in choosing PAD treatments that are right for them.
The Way to My Heart is an advocacy group that provides direct support and case management to PAD and patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) who need help with their care.
We understand that sometimes it can be challenging to communicate your symptoms during your doctor’s appointment. Stand Against Amputation offers a PAD assessment quiz that you can print and bring to your next MD visit. Find out more here: Symptom Quiz.