Life Line Screening, the nation's largest mobile ultrasound screening service, will hold health screenings at The Gathering Place, 2-3 McIntosh Trail, in Peachtree City on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The screenings are offered to identify people who may be at risk of stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease, or osteoporosis. These diseases are preventable, detectable and treatable conditions if caught in time.

Stroke the number one reason for admission into nursing homes is essentially a "brain attack" caused by interruption of blood flow to the brain. Approximately 75 percent of the 550,000 strokes that occur every year in the United States are due to blockages in the carotid arteries of the neck. The sophisticated, painless, and non-invasive, colorflow Doppler ultrasound system utilized by Life Line Screening's technicians, detect the degree of blockage, if any, that may exist in these arteries.

Dr. John Blumer, DDS, a resident of Louisville, Ga., participated in a screening held in August in Eatonton where Life Line's ultrasounf technologists discovered he had steosis of the internal carotid arteries. A certified letter was sent by Life Line to Dr. Blumer informing him of the findings and suggesting that he take the results to his personal physician.

Dr. Blumer wrote Life Line in October, saying that subsequent testing by his family physician and other specialists had confirmed Life Line's findings and led to investigation of his coronary arteries, revealing major stenosis in four of them. As a result of these findings, Dr. Blumer underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and right internal carotid endarterectomy.

Dr. Blumer wrote Life Line stating that, "Prior to your screening, my blood chemistry was excellent, my blood pressure was well within normal limits, I was on an exercise program and had voluntarily lost 35 pounds. Thanks to you findings, I have been able to be proactive instead of reactive. You have enabled me to treat two potentially fatal disease processes. Today I am alive and on the road to recovery, and I wish to thank you for what you have done for me and my family."

Life Line also performs ultrasound screenings of the abdominal aorta, the largest blood vessel in our body and the most common site for the development of an aneurysm. An aneurysm is the result of a weakness in the vessel's lining, creating a "balloon" int he artery that can rupture ad cause catastophic bleeding. If detected in time, however, the aneurysm can be monistored or surgically repaired.

Peripheral arterial disease, an early warning sign of heart disease, is caused by the build-up of fat and cholesterol in the arteries of the legs, although the arms can be affected as well. These blocakages interrup blood flow and cause severe cramping pain in the leg muscles during exercise. If left untreated, peripheral arterial disease can lead to the loss of a leg or foot. Life Line uses blood pressure cuffs and an ultrasound Doppler probe, place on your arms and legs, to determine level of existing risk for this disease.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis affects 25 million Americans and causes more than 1.3 million bone fractures each year. National expenditures for osteoporosis, primarily affecting postmenopausal women, are estimated to be in excess of $10 billion, including costs of hospitalization, nursing home services, and lost productivity. Life Line uses an ultrasonometer unit that measures level of bone density in the heel, indicative of osteoporosis. Through diet, exercise habits, and or medication, further deterioration of bone can be prevented.

Cost for each of the four screenings (carotid artery, abdominal aorta, peripheral arterial disease, and osteoporosis) offered by Life Life Screening is $35, or you may take any three tests for $98, or $125 for all four tests. Appointments, which begin at 9 a.m., are required. Call 1-800-364-0457, ext. 1, to set an appointment for the Dec. 1 screening at The Gathering Place.

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