Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health News: Kathryn Weil Center for Education to host free peripheral arterial disease screening

Friday, August 27, 2010

Kathryn Weil Center for Education to host free peripheral arterial disease screening

The Kathryn Weil Center for Education, St. Elizabeth Regional Health and area health care providers are teaming together to provide a free Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) screening from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at the Kathryn Weil Center for Education.

The center is located in the Medical Arts Building, 415 N. 26th St., Suite 400 in Lafayette.

PAD is a clogging of arteries in the leg that can be life-threatening if left untreated. An estimated 12 million Americans have PAD, increasing their risk of death by two to six times from heart attack and stroke. PAD can decrease blood flow to the legs and feet, resulting in muscle fatigue and pain when walking and can lead to amputation, disability and diminished quality of life.

PAD develops slowly over many years and the chance of having PAD increases as you get older; people over age 50 are at highest risk for PAD, but the risk is increased among people who:
• smoke or previously smoked;
• have diabetes;
• have high blood pressure;
• have abnormal blood cholesterol levels;
• are of African American ethnicity; and
• have had heart disease, a heart attack or a stroke.

The screening is in conjunction with National Peripheral Arterial Disease month and materials are provided by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health and Spirit of Women Health Network.

Participants may also participate in a free personal cardiac assessment, which includes a cholesterol screening and a glucose screening, as well as a body composition assessment.
The Kathryn Weil Center for Education and St. Elizabeth Regional Health are members of the Spirit of Women network, a national coalition of hospitals and health care providers that pledge to provide the highest standards of excellence in women’s health, education and community outreach.

This screening is free and open to men and women, but registration is limited and required. To register, please call the Kathryn Weil Center for Education at (765) 449-5133.

2 comments:

AnonymousAug 27, 2010 04:51 PM
What does the screening for PAD consist of?
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Rob FordAug 27, 2010 06:20 PM
The screening test for P.A.D. is called the ankle-brachial index, a painless, non-invasive test that compares the blood pressure in the ankles with the blood pressure in the arms.

The doctor divides the systolic pressure in the ankle by the systolic pressure in the arm. The result is called the ankle-brachial index (ABI), also called ankle-arm pressure index (API).

What the results mean:

* ABI over 0.90. This result often rules out PAD, but if the patient has specific risk factors for artery disease, the doctor may still suspect PAD. In such cases, the patient takes a treadmill test and another ABI measurement. If the API index drops, the doctor makes a diagnosis of peripheral artery disease.

* ABI below 0.90. This is usually sufficient information to diagnose PAD. The lower the index the greater the risk for heart attack, stroke, or other serious circulatory or heart events. (In patients with diabetes, the doctor may perform additional tests, which may include ultrasound, pressure measurement in the first toe, or others that might confirm or dismiss a diagnosis of PAD.)

* ABI less than 0.50. These measurements are highly associated with impaired leg function.

* ABI less than 0.40. These measurements indicate very severe blockage in the leg arteries and a risk for gangrene.
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