To bring more awareness to cardiovascular diseases, Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center is sponsoring a combination PAD, AAA, and stroke screening on Thursday, April 21, 2022. from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center (Level 6). The cost of the screening is $90, and pre-registration is required. A four-hour fast, including not smoking or chewing gum, is required. These screenings allow individuals with certain risk factors the opportunity to assess their health status.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood to your organs and limbs. Nearly 20 percent of those affected by PAD will experience a heart attack, stroke or hospitalization. Symptoms of PAD include painful cramping in the hip, thigh or calf muscles during activity. Risk factors include being over the age of 50 and having high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, or being a smoker. During the screening, participants have their blood pressure readings taken in the arms and ankles.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) occurs when the large blood vessel that supplies blood to the abdomen, pelvis, and legs becomes abnormally large or balloons outward. An AAA can develop in anyone but is most likely to occur in males over age 60. Aneurysms usually develop slowly over many years and often have no symptoms; however, the most common symptom of AAA is pain in the abdomen or lower back – severe, sudden, persistent, or constant. Risk factors include being over the age of 60, having a history of smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, or a family history of aortic aneurysm. Major risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, peripheral arterial disease, atrial fibrillation, a family history of stroke, TIAs (transient ischemic attacks), carotid artery disease, or being over the age of 55. During a stroke screening, blood pressure is measured and a monitor strip of the heart’s rhythm is obtained. Then a quick ultrasound scan is done of the carotid arteries.
To register or for more information, please call Memorial Hospital’s Phillip R. Dawkins Heart & Vascular Center at 812-996-0553. A brief medical history will be collected to determine eligibility for the screenings.
