September is Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Month

This month, we are raising awareness around Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a condition that causes narrowing of the peripheral arteries and restricts blood flow throughout the body. PAD is most common in the legs, where blocked vessels can cause sores and foot ulcers.These sores can result in amputation if not treated properly.

Dr. Desmond Bell is the Founder and President of “The Save A Leg, Save A Life” Foundation, and he led our team in the “White Sock Campaign” to raise awareness for diabetes, peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) and the prevention of amputation.

Dr. Bell shares some of the facts about PAD to help you avoid becoming another statistic:

• 29% of patients screened 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
• 5% of lower-limb amputations in patients with diabetes are preceded by a foot ulcer

In our next post, we’ll tell you the risk factors of PAD and actions you can take as a patient.

The Save a Leg, Save a Life Foundation strives to reduce the number of lower extremity amputations and improve the quality of life for those afflicted with wounds. Their national campaign, Drive for 25, aims to reduce amputations by 25%, reducing the mortality rate and decreasing US healthcare costs by $4 billion annually. Visit www.thesalsal.org to find out how you can get involved.