Spokane Hospitals Offer Screening For Peripheral Vascular Disease

Sun., Sept. 10, 2000

Three Spokane medical centers are offering a free screening program this month to find people with peripheral vascular disease.

The disease is an early warning sign of possible stroke or heart attack and often occurs in people experiencing leg pain when they walk or exercise. It affects both men and women and often goes undiagnosed because many people mistakenly believe their symptoms are a normal part of aging.

An estimated 5.8 million people in the United States suffer from the disease, but only 1.2 million are diagnosed and treated. Last year, 470 people in Spokane were screened and 22 percent were found to have moderate to severe risk for for peripheral vascular disease.

“The sooner we catch and treat this disease, the less chance people have of suffering a stroke, heart attack or other vascular disease,” said physician Rod Raabe, who founded the screening.

The screening will be held at Valley Hospital and Medical Center Sept. 19, St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute Sept. 21, and Holy Family Hospital Sept. 22. People can make an appointment for a free screening at one of those locations by calling 473-6975.

Raabe started the screening here in 1993. It was launched at 500 hospitals around the nation last year, which looked at about 79,000 people. Nearly one-third had significant symptoms.

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