Join Us for This Year’s White Sock Campaign!

September is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness month! The Save a Leg, Save a Life Foundation (SALSAL), founded by Drs. Desmond Bell & Yazan Khatib, aims to reduce lower extremity amputations and raise awareness for diseases like peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

So what exactly is PAD? PAD is a condition that causes narrowing of the peripheral arteries that carry blood from the heart to the legs. While PAD can occur in the legs, stomach, arms and head, it is most common in the legs. Overtime, plaque and blockage develops in the vessels causing foot ulcers. These ulcers can result in amputation if not treated properly. Here are the statistics surround PAD:

• 29% of screened patients were found to have PAD but only 49% of physicians were aware of the PAD diagnosis in their patients
• 8 million people in the United States are affected by PAD
• Nearly half of all unhealed diabetic foot ulcers result in death within 5 years
• 85% of lower-limb amputations in patients with diabetes are preceded by a foot ulcer

So what can we do to raise awareness of PAD? Last year, we participated in the white sock campaign and we’re bringing it back this year! The campaign, created by the SALSAL organization, encourages participants to wear one white sock on one leg. This promotes solidarity with our amputees. Put on your white socks and join the fun! Don’t forget to upload your photos to social media and hashtag #whitesockcampaign.

Visit www.thesalsal.org to learn more about how you can get involved in amputation prevention.