Ten million Americans have peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a potentially fatal disease caused by blocked blood flow in the legs. Symptoms include leg or hip pain when walking and a color change in the skin of legs or feet.
Free screening tests will take place September 7-13 across the country. A ten-minute exam compares the person's arm and ankle blood pressure to determine PVD risk. At select sites, participants will also be screened for an abnormal ballooning of the aorta known as an aortic abdominal aneurysm. Because the condition has no obvious symptoms, early detection is key. Overall mortality is 85 to 95 percent if an aneurysm ruptures.
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