SVS pushes PAD awareness during Shark Week

The Society for Vascular Surgery is using Shark Week to spotlight peripheral artery disease, a condition it says contributes to about 400 amputations a day in the U.S. The campaign comes as PAD Awareness Month approaches in September and aims to get more people screened before the disease becomes limb-threatening.

Why it matters: - Peripheral artery disease can lead to avoidable limb loss when it is not diagnosed or treated early. - The Society for Vascular Surgery says PAD contributes to about 400 amputations every day in the United States. - The awareness push targets a disease that remains underrecognized even though an estimated 8 million to 12 million Americans live with it. - Early recognition can expand treatment options and may help prevent amputation.

What happened: - During Shark Week, the Society for Vascular Surgery urged Americans to learn the warning signs and risk factors for PAD. - The campaign comes as 25 unprovoked shark attacks occurred in the U.S. in 2025. - SVS used the contrast between shark-related limb loss fears and PAD-related limb loss to draw attention to the disease. - The group is directing people to YourVascularHealth.org for more information.

The details: - PAD is a chronic condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the legs. - The buildup narrows arteries and can partially or completely block blood flow. - Restricted blood flow keeps leg muscles and tissues from getting enough oxygen, glucose and other nutrients. - Left untreated, PAD can cause serious complications, including amputation and death. - PAD is more common among people 65 and older, but it can occur at nearly any age. - Risk factors include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, kidney disease and a family history of PAD. - Common symptoms include leg pain, cramping or tiredness during walking or exercise that improves with rest. - Other symptoms include pain in the feet or legs while resting, sores on the feet that do not heal and one lower leg or foot feeling colder than the other. - Some people with PAD have few or no noticeable symptoms. - SVS said people with possible symptoms should talk with a doctor about their risk factors and whether a vascular surgery referral is appropriate. - Vascular surgeons diagnose and treat the full spectrum of vascular disease and can offer medication, minimally invasive procedures and open surgery. - SVS president Linda Harris said PAD often progresses quietly and warned that leg pain while walking, a nonhealing wound or risk factors such as smoking or diabetes should prompt evaluation. - SVS Vice-President William Shutze said patients should not first meet a vascular surgeon in the operating room and argued that earlier care can prevent emergencies.

Between the lines: - The Shark Week timing is a media hook, but the message is about a common chronic disease that can be missed until damage is advanced. - The campaign also reflects a broader public-health concern as the U.S. population ages and the number of people at risk for vascular disease rises. - SVS is framing PAD awareness as a mobility and amputation-prevention issue, not just a vascular specialty issue.

What's next: - SVS said the awareness effort comes ahead of PAD Awareness Month in September. - The group is encouraging prevention through not smoking, physical activity and managing diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. - SVS said walking and structured exercise can help prevent PAD and support treatment. - For diagnosed patients, supervised exercise may improve walking ability, reduce symptoms and support overall vascular health. - The society says earlier recognition will be critical to protecting mobility and helping patients get care before PAD becomes an emergency.

The bottom line: - PAD is common, dangerous and often overlooked. SVS wants Americans to treat leg pain, slow-healing wounds and other warning signs as reasons to get checked sooner, not later.