Mayor John Stokes recently issued a proclamation declaring Women’s Vascular Screening Week for the city of Bellevue. We applaud the mayor for calling attention to the importance of early screenings for vascular disease, some of which is hidden and can be dangerous to the lives of women.

The most dangerous vascular conditions involve blood clots that can lie undetected in the vascular system, such as deep vein thrombosis (DTV) and pulmonary embolisms (PE).

Centers for Disease Control estimates suggest that 60,000-100,000 Americans die of DVT and PE. For 25 percent of the people with a blood clot, sudden death is the first symptom.

The U.S. Census Bureau states tha 49.9 percent of Bellevue residents are women of an average age of 40, the median age at which vascular diseases can strike. Fifty to 55 percent of women in the United States suffer from some type of vascular problem. And it’s not always blood clots. Approximately 8 million people in the U.S. have peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs.

Fortunately, screening for vascular diseases is easy and painless. Advanced medical techniques allow vascular surgeons to screen the veins and arteries using above-the-skin ultrasound that detects everything from varicose veins to deep vascular issues such as clots and arterial disease.

USA Vein Clinics is proud to be part of the Bellevue community, with a mayor who recognizes the importance of vascular screening. To support Mayor Stokes, USA Vein Clinics is offering free screenings to anyone suffering swelling, aching, pain, heaviness/and or redness in their legs. It’s the least we can do for a city dedicated to the health and well-being of its citizens.

Mitchell Cahn, M.D., USA Vein Clinics, Bellevue

Yan Katsnelson, MD, Founder USA Vein Clinics

Deborah Chiaravalloti

Northbrook, Illinois