Are you at risk for vascular disease? Memorial West offering free screenings
Have you been experiencing one-sided leg pain, cramping and numbness while walking or foot wounds and sores?
Memorial Healthcare says you could be at risk of a common vascular disease that’s often underdiagnosed.
The Hollywood-based hospital system is bringing free peripheral artery disease screenings to Broward County residents in hopes of expediting diagnoses and reducing the need for amputations that can be necessary in the most severe stages.
PAD is a narrowing of the arteries that reduces blood flow to the limbs and is most commonly experienced in the lower extremities, according to the American Heart Association.
According to the cardiac nonprofit, it affects approximately 7 to 12 million people in the United States.
First up on Memorial Healthcare’s preventative tour is its Pembroke Pines campus, 703 N. Flamingo Road, which hosts its screening on Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to addressing health inequities through meaningful, community-centered solutions,” Kelley E. Morris, president and CEO of the Memorial and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundations funding the program, said in a June 22 news release.
“Through philanthropy, we are able to bring lifesaving education, screenings and preventive care directly to people who might otherwise go without it.”
Those looking to get checked will meet at Memorial West’s Graduate Medical Education auditoriums A and B, where they’ll undergo portable ankle-brachial index testing, a quick and noninvasive diagnostic used to diagnose PAD.
The process involves having your arms and ankles strapped into inflatable cuffs that compare the blood pressure in both areas to detect if there’s reduced blood flow.
Memorial Healthcare suggests screening for anyone showing these PAD risk factors or symptoms:
- Leg pain, cramping or numbness while walking
- Family history of PAD
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure or high cholesterol
- Chronic kidney disease
- Current or past smoking history
- Sores or wounds on the feet that heal slowly
- Pale or discolored toes
- Decreased walking distance
- One leg or foot that feels colder than the other
Women and historically underserved populations — minorities and lower-income communities — are especially encouraged to get checked, according to Memorial Healthcare.
That’s why the hospital system will use part of its PAD funding to bring free education and coordinated follow-up care for those diagnosed with the disease directly to community hubs, including senior centers, churches, women’s health centers and local primary care offices.
“PAD is common and seriously underdiagnosed, and women in particular have often been overlooked in the research and clinical guidelines that shape how we treat vascular disease,” said Dr. Sonya Tuerff, medical director of vascular surgery at Memorial Hospital West and Memorial Hospital Miramar.
“In many families, women are the ones managing appointments, medications and health decisions for loved ones. When we reach women with information and preventive care, the impact extends throughout entire households and communities. After 25 years in practice, I can tell you early detection can mean the difference between managing a condition and losing a limb.”
To register for a PAD screening, call 954-844-0907. For more information, visit Memorial Hospital West’s website.
