BD Expands Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Efforts with 'Love Your Limbs' Community Screening Initiative

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX) is shining a spotlight on a serious yet often overlooked circulatory disorder that restricts blood flow to the limbs and is a leading cause of preventable amputations.

PAD affects more than 21 million Americans¹ and more than 200 million people globally.² Without early diagnosis and intervention, PAD can lead to stroke, heart attack and limb loss.³ More than 150,000 preventable amputations occur annually in the U.S. due to PAD.⁴ Despite its widespread impact, PAD remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, especially in underserved communities. BD is committed to reversing this trend through education, partnerships and solutions that empower clinicians and support patients.

Breaking Barriers Through the Love Your Limbs™ PAD Community Screening Initiative

As part of the BD commitment to PAD awareness, the company launched the Love Your Limbs™ PAD Community Screening Initiative to expand access to PAD screening by partnering with physicians to offer free ankle-brachial index (ABI) screenings, which are essential, non-invasive test that can detect PAD in less than 15 minutes.⁶

"Too many lives are lost or forever changed because PAD is diagnosed too late—or not at all," said Rob Righi, vice president and general manager of the Vascular Platform at BD Peripheral Intervention. "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."

In June, BD supported a series of community screenings, partnering with Ochsner Health for the 4th Annual Men's Health Event in New Orleans. Attendees who screened positively were connected with The Way to My Heart, a nonprofit dedicated to support and educate people with PAD.

Using Data and Partnerships to Reduce Care Disparities

To help guide future outreach and prioritize high-need communities, the BD Center of Excellence for Health Economics and Outcomes Research is developing a PAD Health Access Dashboard and Heatmap. This interactive data-driven application is designed to quickly identify geographies with high amputation rates to help target interventions where they can have the most impact.

The American Heart Association's National PAD Action Plan, sponsored in part by BD, is a coordinated campaign aimed at increasing public awareness, improving early diagnosis and enhancing quality of life for those living with PAD. This collaborative effort reflects BD's belief in the power of united action to reduce preventable PAD-related complications.

Together, We Can Save Limbs and Lives

PAD is often called a "silent threat"- up to 59% of individuals with PAD experience no symptoms at all.⁹

With timely screening, treatment and education, most PAD-related complications can be avoided. With a long-standing legacy of vascular innovation, BD continues to deliver tools and technologies that empower clinicians to diagnose and treat PAD earlier and more effectively. From devices that restore blood flow to educational programs that advance evidence-based care, BD is committed to driving better outcomes for patients living with PAD.

This PAD Awareness Month, BD urges healthcare providers, community leaders and individuals to join the movement to raise awareness, promote early detection and advocate for life- and limb-saving care.

To learn more or get involved, visit https://loveyourlimbs.com.

About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is Advancing the World of Health™ by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its more than 70,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/, X (formerly Twitter) @BDandCo or Instagram @becton_dickinson. 

Contacts:

¹ Yost M. The current U.S. prevalence of peripheral arterial disease. Vasc Dis Manag. 2023;20(4):E67-E73.
² Allison MA, Armstrong DG, Goodney PP, et al. Health disparities in peripheral artery disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;148(3):286-296. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001153
Criqui MH, Matsushita K, Aboyans V, Hess CN, Hicks CW, Kwan TW, McDermott MM, Misra S, Ujueta F. Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease:
³ Criqui MH, Matsushita K, Aboyans V, Hess CN, Hicks CW, Kwan TW, McDermott MM, Misra S, Ujueta F. Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease:
Contemporary Epidemiology, Management Gaps, and Future Directions: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;144(9):e171–e191.
⁴ Creager MA, Matsushita K, Arya S, Beckman JA, Duval S, Goodney PP, Gutierrez JAT, Kaufman JA, Joynt Maddox KE, Pollak AW, Pradhan AD,
Whitsel LP. Reducing Nontraumatic Lower-Extremity Amputations by 20% by 2030: Time to Get to Our Feet: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;143(17):e875–e891.
⁹ Gornik HL, Aronow HD, Goodney PP, et al. 2024 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/APMA/ABC/SCAI/SVM/SVN/SVS/SIR/VESS Guideline for the Management of Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2024;149(24):e1313-e1410. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001251

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)