09/05/2025
🩺 September is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month
PAD affects more than 10 million Americans and is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations in the U.S. (Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions [SCAI], 2025).
🚨 Despite its prevalence, nearly 70% of people with PAD don’t know they have it, and among Black and Hispanic adults who are disproportionately at risk, 8 in 10 report that no healthcare provider has ever discussed PAD with them (SCAI, 2025).
💔 The stakes are harrowing: In a recent U.S. registry study of more than 22,000 patients, 1-year mortality after major lower-extremity amputation was 25.6% (Li et al., 2025). Other contemporary studies show that mortality rises to ~46–48% after above-knee amputation and ~20–29% after below-knee amputation (Brix et al., 2024). These outcomes highlight why early intervention and limb-preservation strategies are essential.
At PAM Health, our Advanced Wound Care Centers are focused on limb preservation and helping patients maintain independence and quality of life.
We do this through:
🔹 Expert vascular wound care with vascular specialists embedded within our programs;
🔹 Early detection tools such as Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) testing for timely diagnosis; and
🔹 Comprehensive, multidisciplinary care plans combining revascularization, advanced wound therapies, and personalized patient support.
✅ Why this matters: Early identification and treatment don’t just prevent amputations they protect mobility, function, and dignity (American Heart Association [AHA], 2023).
This PAD Awareness Month, let’s amplify awareness. Recognize the signs, leg pain with walking, cramping, or slow-healing wounds and encourage timely evaluation.
Together, we can change the trajectory of PAD, protecting limbs, lives, and futures.
