Free Health Screenings Identify Risk For Heart Attack And Stroke

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Stroke;  Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Article Date: 19 Aug 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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Symptoms that are typically dismissed as signs of getting older, such as pain in the legs while walking that subsides at rest, numbness and tingling in the lower legs and feet, coldness in the lower legs and feet, and ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that don't heal, may be warning signs of something much more serious, peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD is a common condition affecting 12-20 percent of Americans age 65 and older and is a marker for future heart attack and stroke if left untreated. It develops mostly as a result of atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries," which occurs when cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming a substance called plaque that narrows and clogs the arteries and slows blood flow to the legs. "Early detection and management of peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, can prevent the progression of the disease which can often lead to painful walking, gangrene, amputation, heart attack or stroke," states Harvey Wiener, DO, Legs For Life® Chair.

Interventional radiologists will offer free testing through the Legs For Life program for those at risk. During the screening, they perform a simple and painless test, the ankle brachial index (ABI), which compares the blood pressure in the legs to the blood pressure in the arms to determine how well the blood is flowing and if further tests are needed. Legs For Life, commemorating its 10 year anniversary, is the longest running and most successful program of its kind.

More than 50 percent of PAD patients are asymptomatic and cannot feel the classic warning sign of PAD intermittent claudication, or leg pain that occurs when walking or exercising and disappears when the person stops the activity. Get tested if you have the following risk factors:

- Cramping in your leg when walking or exercising, that is relieved by resting

- Are over age 50

- High cholesterol, a high lipid blood test or high blood pressure

- A family history of vascular disease, such as PAD, aneurysm, heart attack or stroke

- Diabetes

- Smoke now or have ever smoked

- Are African-American

- Are overweight

Hundreds of screening locations across the country can be found at www.LegsForLife.org, along with disease fact sheets. Note: Screenings are free, but may be conducted by appointment, slots are available on a first come first serve basis.

Why PAD is a Red Flag for Heart Attack and Stroke

Often, the plaque blocks the smaller leg arteries first which is why PAD is considered a red flag for several life-threatening vascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. Because atherosclerosis is a systemic disease, people with PAD are likely to develop blocked arteries throughout the body, putting them at risk for heart attack and stroke. As diagnostic and vascular experts, interventional radiologists can intervene early, prevent vascular disease progression and provide non-surgical treatment if needed. Interventional radiologists use special X-rays, MRI or other imaging to guide a catheter and deliver treatments inside the body, usually through an artery. Interventional Radiology procedures offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time than surgery.

Treatment for Peripheral Arterial Disease

In many cases, PAD can be treated with lifestyle changes. Smoking cessation, a structured exercise program, and medication are often all that is needed to alleviate symptoms and prevent further progression of the disease. "With early detection, patients could be sent to an interventional radiologist sooner so we could intervene to slow progression of the disease, and offer much less invasive treatment options, saving patients from amputation," says Wiener. If further intervention is needed, interventional radiologists can perform non-surgical angioplasty to open the blocked artery in the leg and restore blood flow. Although most people associate angioplasty with coronary disease, angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent were invented by interventional radiologists 31 years ago to treat PAD.

About Legs For Life®

Legs For Life has been sponsored annually by the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation since September 1998. It is the largest, longest running, and most inclusive national vascular disease screening program in the U.S. Nearly 322,000 people have been screened to date, with one in four found to be at risk for PAD. Select sites will also screen for abdominal aortic aneurysm, stroke risk and venous disease.

The Society of Interventional Radiology is a founding partner of the PAD Coalition which, along with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), has launched a national three-year PAD awareness campaign in September called "Stay in Circulation.

Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR)
3975 Fair Ridge Dr., Ste 400 N.
Fairfax, VA 22033
United States
http://www.sirweb.org

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