Join the STEP-tember Challenge During PAD Awareness Month

Learn About Peripheral Arterial Disease, Which Affects More than 10 Million Americans

Each September, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation sponsors a step challenge to raise awareness for Peripheral Arterial Disease, or PAD. This serious health condition is characterized by a blockage of blood flow in the lower extremities that raises the risk for limb amputation, according to Valley Health vascular surgeon Emily Reardon, MD.

The ”STEP-tember” challenge focuses on walking as one of the best ways to protect one’s vascular health. According to the SVS, the benefits of walking range from increasing cardiovascular fitness, and preventing or managing heart disease, stroke, high pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. The 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body carry blood and essential nutrients throughout the body. Walking 60 miles in the month of September equates to one mile for each 1,000 miles of the body’s veins and arteries. Find more about the challenge HERE.

About Peripheral Arterial Disease

As the most prevalent vascular condition, PAD affects 10 million people in the United States. It is often diagnosed by primary care physicians whose patients experience leg pain when walking, wounds that won’t heal and/or decreased pulses in the feet.

According to Dr. Reardon, surgical treatment for PAD has come a long way in the past 10 years. Many procedures are minimally invasive (also called endovascular). Similar to heart catheterizations, endovascular procedures are performed using wires, balloons and stents. These procedures involve a small incision or a small puncture site and typically require only a half day in the hospital.

According to Valley Health vascular surgeon Shashank Sharma, MD, risk factors for PAD include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poorly controlled diabetes, and smoking. He emphasizes the importance of early detection and awareness.

To learn more about PAD, listen to Dr. Sharma on “The Valley Today” podcast with Janet Michael as he discusses symptoms and treatment options for PAD.

If you have any questions about your vascular health, please contact Valley Health Vascular Surgeons, located on the campus of Winchester Medical Center: 540-536-6721.