INDIANAPOLIS
– If you have poor circulation in your legs, causing pain when you walk or
stand, it could be a sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that
puts you at high risk for heart disease and stroke.
To
assess your risk for PAD, sign up for the free Legs for Life screening offered
by Franciscan St. Francis Health from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 24,
at the Indianapolis hospital campus, 8111 S. Emerson Ave.
With
PAD, the vessels that carry blood to the arms and legs become narrowed or
clogged, interfering with the normal flow of blood, sometimes causing pain.
Often, however, a person may experience no serious symptoms but still have
peripheral artery disease. Signs of PAD
include:
·
Leg
or hip pain when walking but stops when resting
·
Numbness,
tingling or weakness in legs
·
Burning
or aching pain in feet or toes when resting
·
Sore
on leg or foot that won’t heal
·
Cold
legs or feet
The
screening is noninvasive. A health care professional checks the blood pressure
in your arms and ankles and compares them to see if there is a significant
difference between them.
To
qualify for the free screening, participants must be 50 or older and have one
or more of the following symptoms or risk factors:
·
Trouble walking that involves cramping or tiredness in the leg
muscles with walking or exercising, which is relieved by resting
- A family history of vascular
disease, such as PAD, aneurysm, heart attack or stroke
- Have or have had high blood
pressure, heart disease, or other vascular disease
- Have ever smoked or
currently smoke
To
make an appointment at the Legs for Life screening, call (317) 782-4422, or
toll free at 877-888-1777.
