On Saturday, September 27, Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth will conduct the Legs For Life® screening program to identify people at risk for PAD. This event will be held at the Baylor All Saints Imaging Center located on the Baylor All Saints Medical Center campus; 1701 West Rosedale; Fort Worth 76104 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
During the Legs for Life screening, participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire designed to help assess their risk for developing PAD. Medical staff will take a blood pressure reading in the ankles and arms to check for possible circulation problems. Individuals reporting symptoms of PAD, have multiple risk factors or abnormal blood pressure readings will be advised to consult further with their personal physician.
"The early detection of PAD or other vascular diseases can prevent or lessen the risk of developing other health problems. The earlier it is identified and treated, the better the chance that the condition can be controlled with exercise, diet improvement," says Thomas Livingston, M.D., medical director, radiology, at Baylor All Saints Medical Center. "The screening program is not a complete medical exam but is intended to help identify people who have risk factors for PAD and to refer them to their physicians."
PAD affects tens of thousands of Americans and is caused by blocked blood flow in the arteries to the legs. It is a particular problem for diabetics, people who suffer from heart and other vascular disorders and senior citizens. Vascular disease such as PAD is most common among men and women over the age of 50, people suffering from diabetes, people who smoke and people with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
"Atherosclerosis, 'plaque build up,' can occur in all vascular beds and can lead to stroke, heart attacks and amputation," says Stuart Lander, M.D., cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor All Saints Medical Center. "The risk factors for a heart attack are the same for PAD and stroke and include diabetes, high cholesterol and tobacco abuse to name a few. Early detection of PAD will allow modification of these risk factors and improve long-term outcomes."
The not-for-profit Baylor All Saints Medical Centers serve more than 100,000 people annually through two hospitals, numerous primary care physician centers and practices, a rehabilitation and fitness center, and a variety of medical specialties. Programs of excellence in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology and women's services form the heart of the hospitals' services. All Saints joined Baylor Health Care System in January 2002. All Saints Health Foundation, a separately incorporated not-for-profit organization, raises and manages charitable funds to support Baylor All Saints Medical Centers. For fiscal year 2006, Baylor Health Care System reported $406 million in community benefit to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System's subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor All Saints Medical Center or Baylor Health Care System.
CONTACT:
Mary Johnson
817.922.7088
maryjohn@baylorhealth.edu
Sunny Drenik
817.922.7100
sunnydr@baylorhealth.edu
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com