The national campaign Take A Stand Against Amputation aims to raise awareness of the risks, symptoms, and treatment options for peripheral artery disease (PAD), which, if left untreated, could lead to amputation and be potentially life-threatening.
This disease may particularly affect minorities, suggests a media release from The Deciding Factor, noting that that studies have suggested that the rate of PAD-related amputations for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans may be higher than for white Americans.
An additional study, published recently in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, suggests that, compared to Caucasians, African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans may have less access to limb-saving PAD procedures because they are being admitted to the hospital for treatment when they are sicker and more likely on an emergency basis.
Another study, noted in the release, suggests that African-Americans may not feel the symptoms of PAD as early as Caucasians for some reason, and therefore do not seek treatment as early.
With these studies in mind, and with April being National Minority Health Month, Cardiovascular Systems Inc (CSI) sponsors the Take A Stand Against Amputation campaign to offer information about PAD, its risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options.
CSI offers a screening test, called an ankle-brachial index (ABI), to identify PAD in people who are at risk by comparing the blood pressure in their ankle to that in their arm.
Available on the campaign’s website are a PAD risk factor checklist, as well as a tool to help people find a physician or surgeon who is experienced using the ABI device. Also available are free education tools that physicians and health care clinics can download, print, and distribute to their patients.
[Source(s): The Deciding Factor, PRWeb]
