Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Your Vascular Health is a Matter of Life and Limb

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Your Vascular Health is a Matter of Life and Limb Name Practice Address Phone Website

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Your Vascular System All your veins and arteries make up your vascular system. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to your vital organs and to your legs and feet, and veins drain the blood back to the heart.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Vascular Disease As we age, our arteries tend to thicken, get stiff, and narrow because of a build-up of plaque and cholesterol. When this occurs in large and medium-sized arteries, it is called atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). When the narrowing happens in arteries leading to the heart, it can cause a heart attack. The same situation in other areas of the body can cause peripheral vascular disease.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Your aorta is the largest artery In your body. An AAA occurs when the wall of the aorta progressively weakens and begins to bulge. It may continue to enlarge and eventually rupture if left untreated causing severe internal bleeding and possibly death.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Each year, 14,000 Americans die from rupture of an aortic aneurysm according to the United States National Institutes of Health, 2010.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Who is at risk? People with a history of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) Those with a family history of AAA Those who smoke, have high blood pressure, or chronic lung disease

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) What are the symptoms? A pulsing feeling in the abdomen Unexplained, severe pain in your abdomen or lower back Pain, discoloration, or sores on your feet (this is a rare symptom)

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) What can you do? See your doctor if you are at risk Stop smoking Maintain normal blood pressure levels See a vascular surgeon to be tested to see if you have an AAA. See a vascular surgeon if your doctor diagnoses an AAA

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. AAA Medicare Screening Benefit Medicare offers a free, one-time AAA ultrasound screening for qualified seniors as part of the Welcome to Medicare Physical Exam. Men who have smoked 100 cigarettes sometime during their life, and men and women with a family history of AAA are eligible for this benefit. The Welcome to Medicare physical must be conducted during the first six months of enrollment.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke) Carotid arteries are two main arteries that carry blood from your heart, up through your neck, to your brain. Carotid artery disease results when the carotid arteries become too narrow or obstructed from plaque and limit the blood flow to the brain. Strokes result either from obstruction of blood flow to the brain by the plaque or when bits of plaque and clots break off from the plaque and flow to the brain.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke) Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States according to 2010 National Vital Statistics. Each year, 137,000 people die from a stoke. A large proportion of strokes are caused by plaque in the carotid arteries. In 2010, the American Stroke Association estimated that Americans would pay about US$73.7 billion for stroke-related medical costs and disability.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke) What are the causes and risk factors? Age High blood pressure Diabetes Smoking High cholesterol Obesity Lack of exercise Irregular heartbeat Family history of Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and/or stroke

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke) Ministrokes (or transient ischemic attacks) are usually temporary lasting a few minutes to a few hours, and should be treated as serious medical emergencies requiring immediate treatment. Some symptoms include: Weakness, numbness, or tingling on one side of the body Inability to control movement of a body part Loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes Inability to speak clearly Difficulty talking or comprehending what others are saying Dizziness or confusion

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Carotid Artery Disease (Stroke) What can you do? See your doctor if you are at risk or experience a ministroke Maintain normal blood pressure levels Stop smoking Control cholesterol levels Maintain a healthy weight Exercise See a vascular surgeon if Carotid Artery Disease is diagnosed, or to be tested for this condition

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Typically with age, the peripheral arteries build up plaque that narrows the passageways causing them to become stiff. PAD results when the peripheral arteries become too narrow or obstructed and limit the blood flow to the legs.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) One in every 20 Americans over the age of 50 has peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD affects more than eight million people in the U. S. Individuals with PAD suffer a five-fold increased relative risk of a cardiovascular ischemic event and total mortality that is two to three fold greater than those without PAD.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) What are the risk factors? Aging Diabetes Smoking High cholesterol Obesity Lack of exercise Males are more prone to PAD, but women are at risk as well Family history of vascular problems African Americans and Hispanics are at particular risk of PAD

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) What are the symptoms? There may be no symptoms in the early stages of PAD. Developing symptoms may include discomfort or pain in your legs when walking with the pain going away when you stop and rest.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) What can I do? See your doctor if you are at risk Stop smoking Manage your diabetes Maintain healthy cholesterol levels Eat a healthy diet Exercise See a vascular surgeon if PAD is diagnosed, or to be tested for PAD in its early stages

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Vascular Screenings (Include information about vascular screening events you will conduct.)

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Why should someone see a Vascular Surgeon? Vascular surgeons are the only physicians who are trained to provide all vascular disease treatment options. Vascular surgeons treat diseases with: lifestyle changes, medical management, minimally invasive endovascular angioplasty and stent procedures, and both stent graft procedures and open repair of aneurysms. Only a vascular surgeon can offer all treatment modalities assuring the care that is most appropriate to a patient’s condition.

Copyright © 2009, Society for Vascular Surgery ®. All rights reserved. Thank you Name Practice Address Phone Number Website