UAMS will offer free screenings for peripheral vascular disease (PVD) September 23 - 27 in Little Rock. Appointments for the screenings are available each day between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call (501) 686-6913.

PVD - a disease of the arteries - is most commonly characterized by leg or hip pain that occurs during walking or exercising, but disappears after a few minutes of rest. PVD serves as a warning sign of potential heart attack, stroke or abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Early detection of PVD through screening enables physicians to treat the disease before such serious problems develop.

Each screening at UAMS will consist of blood pressure measurements in the arms and legs, an abdominal ultrasound and a brief consultation with a physician. The screening will take approximately 30 minutes.

PVD - which affects 10 million Americans - occurs when the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs become narrowed or clogged, thereby interfering with blood flow. The most common cause of the disease is atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries") - a gradual process in which cholesterol and scar tissue build up and form a substance called plaque, which clogs the blood vessels. PVD can also be attributed to blood clots.

Risk factors for developing PVD include being more than 40 years old, smoking, having diabetes, being overweight, not exercising, and having high blood pressure or high cholesterol. A family history of heart disease or vascular disease may also increase a person's risk.

Other symptoms of PVD include numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs; burning or aching pain in the feet or toes when resting; leg or foot sores that will not heal; and a cooling or color change of the skin on the legs or feet.

The abdominal ultrasound portion of the screening checks for signs of AAA - a bulge in the abdominal part of the aorta, the main vessel that delivers blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The aneurysm is caused by a weakening or damage in the aorta's wall. Sometimes, the AAA grows so large that it bursts and becomes life-threatening. Risk factors for this condition include being male and over 60 years old, smoking, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and having a family history of AAA or another type of aneurysm.

The UAMS screenings are part of the Legs For Life National Screening for PVD Leg Pain, which was founded and is primarily sponsored by the Society of Interventional Radiology, with the support of other medical societies.

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For more information:
Leslie W. Taylor, 501-686-8998
Wireless phone: 501-951-7260
taylorlesliew@uams.edu

Jerri Jackson, 501-686-8149
terryjerrijackson@uams.edu