Free PVD screenings can save your life -
September 6 and 13

MONTEREY, Calif. — Often dismissed as a sign of aging or arthritis, you could have peripheral vascular disease (PVD) — a common circulatory condition caused by blockage of the arteries in the legs that, if left untreated, is potentially fatal. As part of the Legs for Life® national screening program for PVD, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula will hold free PVD screenings on two Saturdays, September 6 and 13, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., at Cardiopulmonary Services, 576 Hartnell Street, Monterey. Screenings are important for people who have not been previously screened or diagnosed with PVD, are age 50 or older, and have leg pain, aching, or cramping that comes on with walking or exercise, a history of heart disease, or diabetes. Sign up for a free screening and meet with an interventional radiologist to discuss your results. To register, call 649-7232.

PVD is a common circulation problem in which the arteries that carry blood to the legs or arms become narrowed or clogged. PVD, also called peripheral arterial disease (PAD), or "hardening of the arteries," is not a normal part of aging. People over age 50 should seek medical help if you have one or more of the following:

• difficulty walking
• leg or hip pain
• aching or cramping that comes on with walking or exercising
• numbness and tingling in the lower legs and feet
• ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that won’t heal
• and skin discoloration

Early diagnosis of PVD is key, as less severe cases can often be treated with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Early treatment of PVD may prevent heart attack and stroke. Although men are somewhat more likely than women to have PVD, the disease affects everyone. About 1 in 20 people over the age 50, or 8 million people in the United States have PVD. More than half the people with PVD experience leg pain, numbness, or other symptoms, but many people dismiss these signs and don’t seek medical help. Only about half of those with symptoms have been diagnosed with PVD and are seeing a doctor for treatment. Those who are at highest risk are:

• over the age of 50
• smokers
• diabetic
• overweight
• people who do not exercise
• people who have high blood pressure or high cholesterol
• people with a family history of heart or vascular disease

Your physician can refer you to an interventional radiologist who can treat PVD and other conditions using minimally invasive procedures that are often alternatives to open surgery. Treatment options for PVD include lifestyle changes, angioplasty (inflating a tiny balloon in the artery), thromboyltic therapy (clot-busting drugs), thrombectomy (removal of the blood clot), and bypass graft (creating a detour around the blocked artery).

Legs for Life® is a national screening program founded in 1998 to improve people’s cardiovascular health. More than 150,000 people nationally are screened for PVD during screenings each September. Approximately one out of every four screening participants are found to be at moderate or high-risk for the disease. For more information, visit www.legsforlife.org .

Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, founded in 1934 and located at 23625 Holman Highway in Monterey, has grown and evolved in direct response to the changing healthcare needs of the people it serves. It is a nonprofit healthcare provider with 205 staffed acute-care hospital beds and 28 skilled-nursing beds, delivering a continuum of care from birth to end of life, and every stage in between. It serves the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding communities through 15 locations, including the main hospital, outpatient facilities, satellite laboratories, a mental health clinic, a short-term skilled nursing facility, Hospice of the Central Coast, and business offices. Learn more about Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula at www.chomp.org.