October 26, 2006
CONTACT: Susanne
Hartman
(215) 349-5964
susanne.hartman@uphs.upenn.edu
Penn Interventional Radiologists
Offer Free Screening to Public for
Peripheral Arterial Disease, Stroke, Aortic Aneurysm on November 14
Pain Caused From Clogged Arteries in the Legs Slows Down
One in 20 Americans over the Age of 50
| WHAT: | Often, the first presentation of coronary
artery disease appears in the legs. How healthy are your legs? The University of Pennsylvania Health System is hosting a free screening event for the public to look for peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.), as well as Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Carotid Disease and Venous Disease. Experts say early detection of P.A.D. is the key to saving lives! It can cause pain or swelling, difficulty walking, numbness and skin discoloration - and it can also provide advance warning of heart attacks and strokes. P.A.D. is caused by blocked blood flow in the arteries of the legs, arms, kidneys, brain and elsewhere. |
| WHEN: | Tuesday, November 14 |
| WHERE: | University of Pennsylvania Houston Hall Near 34th & Spruce Streets Philadelphia, PA 19104 |
NOTE: You must reserve a screening time in advance. Call (215) 615-4135.
Penn patient, 59-year-old Marty Carr, while undergoing a physical exam, discovered the pain in his legs he’d dismissed as “part of growing older” was actually being caused by hardening of the arteries. He underwent a minimally invasive procedure by Penn interventional radiologists in which stents were put in his legs to improve the blood flow. Today, the Doylestown resident is pain-free. Carr, a husband and father, adds, “Go get evaluated for P.A.D. All it’s going to cost you is your time. My quality of life was decreasing. Don’t be afraid of hearing you have this or the procedure. It was easy and will enable you to live longer.”
Nearly 12 million Americans (One in 20) over the age of 50 are living with P.A.D., giving them a two- to six-fold increased risk of death from heart attack and stroke.
“Many people with P.A.D. won’t experience obvious symptoms,” explains interventional radiologist Jeffrey Solomon, MD, who directs Penn’s Legs for Life program. “Many patients suffering from P.A.D. ignore or cannot feel the classic warning signs of it - leg pain. Leg discomfort can be a sign that the leg arteries are clogged.
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PENN Medicine is a $2.9 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #3 in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals, all of which have received numerous national patient-care honors [Hospital of theUniversity of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center]; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.
This release is available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/oct06/padITC.htm