You may have this common life-threatening condition and not even know it.
SAN ANTONIO — There are over 200,000 avoidable amputations every year in the U.S. Many occur with diabetes, but many of these amputations also come from a condition that many may have never heard of.
It is called peripheral artery disease, or PAD. It is a condition where your arteries narrow reducing blood flow to the arms and legs. And it is often misunderstood by the public and also often undiagnosed. Dr. A. Landon Wellford, a Baptist Health System cardiologist told us, “They just think they have a little rheumatism or little arthritis, and they they’ve dialed down their activity level to avoid the pain.”
USA Vascular Centers says peripheral artery disease affects between 10 and 12 million Americans. Nearly seven out of 10 people with PAD have no idea they have it. And about four out of every 10 people with PAD will not have any symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly. That’s why screening is a must for those with multiple risk factors. Dr. Wellford added, “That’s where you take blood pressure from your arm compared to the blood pressure in your leg. And the lower that number is, the more likely you’re going to get into trouble.”
Unmodifiable risk factors for PAD include age and family history of the disease. Risk factors you can change include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and the big one, smoking.
And if you have a high risk of PAD, look out for the common symptoms including leg pain, numbness or weakness in the legs, feeling cold in one leg or foot, sores on the legs or feet, and slow healing of wounds. Dr. Wellford said, “The more claudication you have, the more likely you are to develop an ulcer that won’t heal, lose a toe or lose a leg.”