Sep. 6, 2011 Peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, is a common
condition affecting 12-20 percent of Americans age 65 and older
that may be a signal of future heart attack and stroke -- and
many with the disease may be unaware they have it, says the
Society of Interventional Radiology. For more than a decade, the
Society of Interventional Radiology's national screening
program, Legs For Life®, has helped identify this very serious
and potentially life-threatening condition. "An integrated
program like Legs For Life assists communities with early
detection and management of peripheral arterial disease. The key
is preventing its progression, which can lead to painful
walking, gangrene, amputation, heart attack or stroke,"
explained Sanjay Misra, M.D., FSIR, an interventional
radiologist at the Mayo Clinic and Foundation for Medical
Education and Research in Rochester, Minn. An estimated 10
million people in the United States suffer from peripheral
arterial disease. PAD develops mostly as a result of
atheroscleros