Peripheral arterial disease newest offering on NIHSeniorHealth site

Information about the risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease, or P.A.D., has just been added to NIHSeniorHealth, the senior-friendly health and wellness website from the National Institutes of Health. Consumers can visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov/peripheralarterialdisease/toc.html to learn more about P.A.D., which develops when arteries in the body become clogged with fatty deposits, limiting blood flow. P.A.D. affects an estimated 8 million to 12 million people, most of them over age 50.

"P.A.D. is a common, yet serious, disease in older adults. Blocked blood flow can cause pain and numbness in the legs, making it difficult to walk or climb stairs. People with P.A.D. are also at risk for heart disease and stroke," says Susan B. Shurin, M.D., acting director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which developed the content for the new NIHSeniorHealth topic. "NIHSeniorHealth is an excellent resource for older adults to learn how to lower their risk or about appropriate treatments."

Information about P.A.D. is the latest addition to the roster of health topics offered on NIHSeniorHealth. A joint effort of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the website features research-based, easily accessible information on a range of health issues of interest to older people. Topics include ways to exercise properly, safe use of medicines, and management of diseases such as stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. To improve access for older adults, NIHSeniorHealth includes short, easy-to-read segments of information in a number of formats, including various large-print type sizes, open-captioned videos, and an audio version.

The NLM is the world's largest library of the health sciences and collects, organizes and makes available biomedical science information to scientists, health professionals and the public. For more information, visit the website at www.nlm.nih.gov.

The NHLBI plans, conducts and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. For more information, visit the website at www.nhlbi.nih.gov

The NIA leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the medical, social and behavioral issues of older people. For more information on research and aging, visit the website at www.nia.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Source: NIH Release News