Bayer recently announced the winner of Breathless Moments, a photography contest designed to raise awareness of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) by showcasing sights, inspirational events or moments that can take someone’s breath away. Patricia Middings of Chester, N.J., took the winning photo, which was selected by Trace Cluck, a CTEPH patient, and his wife Stephanie Cluck, both of whom served as judges for the contest.
CTEPH is a rare type of pulmonary hypertension that is caused by blood clots in the lungs. Bayer sought to raise awareness about the disease through promoting the Breathless Moments contest throughout social media. In order to join the contest, photographers were required to visit the educational disease awareness site cteph.com, and take a quiz about CTEPH diagnosis, symptoms and treatment options. Their photos were then evaluated based on their ability to translate a breathtaking moment and on their visual appeal.
“I was honored to win Bayer’s Breathless Moments contest. I am a nurse, and knowing that my photo is helping to raise awareness about CTEPH is very gratifying,” said Middings who won the contest with a beach sunset photo.
“It is estimated that 500 to 2500 patients develop CTEPH every year in the U.S., many of whom go undiagnosed, which is particularly troubling as a surgical option has the potential to cure some CTEPH cases. Bayer is proud to be working to raise awareness about CTEPH, in the hope that increased education will lead to better outcomes for patients,” said Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals representative Dario Mirski.
[adrotate group=”4″]
Rino Aldrighetti, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association CEO, added: “We are very pleased to see Bayer’s commitment to CTEPH patients and their work to raise awareness about the disease. Increased awareness is important because CTEPH is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, causing patients to lose valuable treatment time, which can lead to a poor prognosis.”
In other recent CTEPH news, UC San Diego Health System is launching the first national chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) registry to improve healthcare practices and patient care for those with the disease, thanks to a $7.6 million grant.