TOMS RIVER – Leg muscle pain and cramping when walking. Those are symptoms that occur in more than 30 percent of individuals with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), an affliction of 17 million Americans.
Another third has atypical symptoms such as easy fatigability. But perhaps most at risk are individuals with no symptoms at all, which includes people with diabetes.
PAD is of great concern because individuals with PAD are at high risk for heart attack, stroke and death.
So, what is PAD? It’s a vascular disease that occurs when arteries become clogged with fatty cholesterol deposits, reducing blood flow to the legs. Diagnosis and treatment, including medication, non-surgical procedures and lifestyle changes, are recommended as early as possible.
If you have these PAD Risk Factors, you may want to be screened:
Smoking (both present and former smokers)
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Abnormal cholesterol levels
African-American ethnicity
Previous heart disease, heart attack or stroke
Family history
For qualified participants, Deborah Specialty Physicians is hosting a PAD Screening November 18 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Toms River office.
Do you meet one of these criteria for participation?
You have diabetes and one of the following risk factors:
Smoking
Abnormal cholesterol
High blood pressure
You are 70 or older
You have PAD symptoms
Advance registration is required. For additional information and to register, call 609-496-5929. PAD screening includes an ankle-brachial index, a painless test that compares blood pressure in the ankles with blood pressure in the arms.
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