Innovation To Make It Easier For Testing Poor Circulation

The Heart of Innovation with Kym McNicholas

A new study in Science Direct, shows a disturbing trend in a younger demographic of patients with an advanced stage of Peripheral Artery Disease, or poor circulation in their legs. It’s known as Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI). The study shows an increase in CLI patients age 18 to 40 from 2016 – 2020. One reason is an increase in adolescent diabetes T2. Another reason is doctors telling patients they’re too young to have poor circulation. It’s typically an ‘old person’s disease’. So, younger patients who experience leg pain and leg cramps are brushed off in early stages, leaving their disease to advance to a point where they’re a toe stub away from amputation with their arteries blocked extensively, restricting blood flow to their feet. The key is to educate primary care doctors and podiatrists about PAD and arm them with the ability to test for it so that patients can get diagnosed sooner when conservative treatment, which consists of medication, insulin control, and lifestyle modifications, is enough to stall disease progression. That’s why the Global PAD Association is partnering with PAD test maker Biomedix, to help patients find a primary care doctor or podiatrist who have additional experience with PAD and offer a test in their clinic. Biomedix CEO John Romans talks about the partnership which includes the launch of PADtest.org where patients can search for a doctor with their PADnet test in office in case it’s medically appropriate to conduct additional vascular assessment upon presentation of PAD symptoms, which may include neuropathy, leg cramps, leg pain, heaviness, or weakness.