Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, in Titusville, New Jersey, has announced a multiyear initiative to advance equitable care and address the hidden threat of amputation related to peripheral artery disease (PAD).

A common circulatory condition that is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, PAD is a leading cause of amputations in the United States and can lead to heart attack and stroke. Initially, the Save Legs. Change Lives. initiative will focus on reaching Black Americans, who are more than twice as likely to be affected by PAD, according to the company.

Part of J&J’s $100 million Our Race to Health Equity effort, the initiative will leverage evidence-based research to uncover systemic bias and identify unmet patient needs in collaboration with the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology Foundation and support education efforts through grassroots organizations including empower PAD, the Change Network, Healthy Directions, and The Balm in Gilead. According to Janssen, fewer than half of the estimated 20 million Americans affected by PAD are diagnosed, and 70 percent of patients with PAD-related leg amputations die within three years.

“While health inequities have long existed, the last several years have brought them to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Black Americans are placed at disproportionate risk of losing legs and lives,” said The Balm in Gilead founder and CEO Pernessa Seele. “We believe the most effective way to eliminate the alarming health disparities within Black populations is for intentional, sustained, and compassionate action by the healthcare industry, public health, and faith communities.”

(Photo credit: GettyImages/FG Trade)