Penn Medicine And Life Line Screening Collaborate On Peripheral Artery Disease Study

CLEVELAND, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Pennsylvania Health System and Life Line Screening, the nation's largest provider of mobile preventive health screenings, are collaborating to identify and recruit patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) for a pilot study on the causes and prevention of this common yet under-treated vascular disease.

"P.A.D. has a strong correlation to coronary heart disease and carries a higher risk of stroke and heart attack," says Dr. Emile R. Mohler III, director of Vascular Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System. "As we develop a greater understanding of how P.A.D. progresses, we'll be better equipped to help patients by determining when and how to treat them."

The research, using non-invasive ultrasound imaging, will begin to pinpoint the exact cause and progression of claudication, or outward symptoms of P.A.D. Cramps, tiredness or pain in the legs and buttocks can manifest when blood flow is restricted by atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Life Line Screening, which has screened over 4.5 million people since 1993 for stroke risk and vascular disease, will inform participants with P.A.D. in the Philadelphia and San Diego areas that they can volunteer for the study by contacting the University of Pennsylvania directly. Life Line Screening will not release private medical information to the university or receive compensation for referrals.

"Life Line Screening's primary goal is to help Americans live long, healthy, independent lives by reducing the incidence of stroke and vascular disease through early detection," said Dr. Andrew Manganaro, vascular surgeon and Medical Director for Life Line Screening. "Since we screen for vascular disease daily across the country, we're an ideal conduit for patient referrals to the Penn P.A.D. study.

"Approximately one in twenty Americans over 50 has P.A.D. and up to 75 percent of them don't know it," he said. "I urge all Americans over 50, and especially those with risk factors, to be screened for P.A.D. It's a serious condition that if left undetected and untreated can lead to a deadly or disabling stroke or heart attack."

Study participants may be eligible for a stipend to cover travel costs. To participate, contact Penn at 215-614-0090.

For more information about Life Line Screening call 877-237-1272 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com.

Life Line Screening

CONTACT: Phyllis Laorenza-Linnehan of KOGS Communication, +1-781-245-7773x.105, or phyllis@kogspr.com, for Life Line Screening

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