' Cosby' Star Tackles a Silent Heart Threat

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People who do receive a PAD diagnosis should know that good treatment options are available, however.

Routine exercise, including walking and treadmill exercise, is the most effective treatment for PAD, according to the AHA. Kicking the smoking habit and maintaining a diet low in cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans-fat is another weapon against PAD, and cholesterol-lowering drugs are sometimes recommended, the association says.

In some serious cases, patients may have to undergo clot and/or clog removal or even by-pass surgery to reroute blood around a blocked leg artery. Most are able to avoid such invasive procedures by taking anticlotting medications such as aspirin or Plavix, which prevent blood platelets from sticking together to form clots.

Dr. Peter Sheehan, a senior faculty member of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, strongly backed the awareness effort.

"People have to understand that this is a major cardiovascular disease," he said. "When you have it, it's the tip of the iceberg, because it's systemic. It's not just something with the legs giving problems walking. You have it everywhere."

"So PAD is a good warning sign," he added. "It provides an alert to the person and their doctor to go ahead and try to lower the risk for heart attack or stroke."

As the campaign gets under way, Rashad's first major stop will be in Washington D.C., where, on Sept. 18, she and a PAD Coalition team will advocate for increased PAD screening at a special Congressional briefing.

Meanwhile, her career continues apace. She's already the first black actress on Broadway to win a Tony Award as lead actress in a play, for 2004's A Raisin in the Sun, and she just completed work on bringing that play to TV, in an adaptation scheduled to air on ABC next February.

This fall, Rashad will return to Broadway as a wicked queen in the Lincoln Center's production of Shakespeare's Cymbeline.

More information

For more on PAD, visit the American Heart Association.