“Interventional Radiologists: Walking Shouldn’t be a Pain”
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) usually is caused by arteriosclerosis, a process in which cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming plaque that clogs the arteries and decreases blood flow in the legs. The Society of Interventional Radiology annually sponsors Legs For Life®—a nationwide community health and public information and PAD screening program—because interventional radiologists, vascular experts who treat PAD, recognized the disease is a major public health problem. SIR encourages early detection and management of PAD to prevent the progression of the disease in at-risk individuals. "Because atherosclerosis is a systematic disease, the plaque restricting blood flow to the leg arteries is considered a red flag for several life-threatening vascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke," noted Robert A. Lookstein, MD, an interventional radiologist and chief of the division of interventional radiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. "The initial screening, a simple, painless ultrasound exam called the ankle-brachial index, or ABI, doesn't take any time at all, but it could reveal problems with blood circulation." Read More
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