What is PADCHEK®?
If you are at risk for P.A.D. or have already begun experiencing symptoms including cramping or fatigue in the legs or buttocks during activity, PADCHEK® is the non-invasive peripheral vascular test to determine your ABI, which will tell you and your doctor the severity of your P.A.D. As the disease progresses, people suffering from P.A.D. often experience pain in the feet or toes during rest, vascular ulcers, and blackened tissue around affected areas.
By using PADCHEK®, your doctor will be able to rapidly assess if your symptoms are caused by P.A.D., which is most commonly caused by atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries. PADCHEK is accurate up to 95% in detecting P.A.D. If you think your symptoms may be a sign of P.A.D., talk to your doctor about PADCHEK® to determine your ABI and if you are in need of treatment.
P.A.D. Symptoms
Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.) occurs when arteries in the legs and feet become narrow or clogged with fatty deposits called plaque. This reduced blood flow may cause only mild symptoms. For example, P.A.D. can cause an achy, crampy feeling or pain in the muscles when the legs are used, such as when walking or climbing stairs. The discomfort usually goes away when you rest. Such discomfort is called claudication.
Many people mistake claudication for arthritis or simply “old-age” and they don’t tell their health care professional about it, which can lead to more severe problems. If you feel symptoms such as leg muscle tiredness or aching and cramping when you walk or climb stairs, you should be examined for P.A.D.
If the clogging in your leg arteries is severe, more serious problems can occur. Sores or ulcers can form, muscle tissue may die, and wounds heal very slowly. Gangrene can set in and toes, feet, or parts of the leg may have to be amputated.
More importantly, the kinds of blockages that cause P.A.D. can also occur in blood vessels of the heart or brain. If a fatty deposit or plaque breaks apart in these blood vessels, a blood clot can form and block the flow of blood to your heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.
The PADCHEK® device has been cleared by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to calculate an Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) which is used by clinicians to detect this debilitating and potentially life-threatening disease.
Risk Factors for P.A.D.
Research shows that patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.) are four times more likely than the general population for risk of heart attack. PADCHEK® makes Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) testing of at-risk patients easy.
Risk factors for P.A.D. include:
- Being over 50 years of age
- Smoking or used to smoke
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Personal or family history of heart disease or stroke
If you are at risk for any of these factors, ask your doctor about a PADCHEK® test for ABI to reduce the risk of complications from P.A.D.
Treatment for P.A.D.
Prevention and management of P.A.D. is most effective when treated before severe symptoms arise. Until now, primary care physicians did not have a simple, reliable, accurate, and inexpensive test to diagnose P.A.D. in its early stages.
The spectrum of treatment protocols for P.A.D. range from behavior modification (regular exercise, healthy eating, and stopping smoking) all the way to major surgery such as angioplasty and stent implants. Mid-range options include medication and minimally invasive catheter treatments to remove the plaque in the arteries. By identifying P.A.D. before symptoms are present, the physician and patient can initiate treatments that are far less invasive and costly.
