Understanding signs of Peripheral Artery Disease can save your life
Evergreen Park, IL, Feb. 1, 2012 – Evergreen Park resident Gerald Dunne, who works year-round on construction sites, recently noticed something strange. His right foot was colder than his left. It didn’t seem like a big deal, but he also noticed that the calf of the same leg was weaker and sore. Not sure if he had just worked too many long days on his feet, the 59-year-old checked in with a physician.
The diagnosis was a shock to Dunne: Peripheral artery disease (PAD).
PAD affects nearly 12 million Americans and is a condition in which arteries in the arms and legs slowly become blocked. Patients with PAD often have no symptoms, but are as likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or death as people with blockages in their heart arteries who experience chest pains. Much like heart artery blockages, leg artery blockages can cause pain and discomfort in the legs and feet. Having diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are risk factors for developing both types of blockages.
Even though he had no history of heart disease, Dunne was immediately referred to Dr. Ron Stella, an interventional cardiologist at MetroSouth Medical Center, for treatment.
“When Mr. Dunne’s right leg artery became blocked, it allowed less blood to reach the tissue in that leg and foot, which caused those extremities to feel cold and sore,” explains Dr. Stella.
Dr. Stella performed surgery immediately on Dunne’s right femoral artery, which carries blood from the thigh to the foot. Dr. Stella, who treats cardiac patients with a variety of interventional and non-interventional procedures, treated Dunne’s condition by performing a balloon angioplasty on his right leg artery and clearing his blockage to allow blood flow to the foot. Following surgery, both Dunne’s foot and calf regained feeling and strength.
“I am so grateful to Dr. Stella for diagnosing and treating the artery condition I didn’t even know I had,” Dunne says. “He also taught me about risk factors for PAD and I have cut back on my bad habits, like smoking and drinking. I’m just really glad to be feeling good and to be able to work.”
Dunne is like many PAD patients who don’t realize they have heart disease until symptoms occur. Dr. Stella recommends a PAD screening for any patient who is:
• Over age 70
• A diabetic between 50 and 70
• A diabetic younger than 50 who smokes, has high blood pressure or high cholesterol
In addition, Dr. Stella points to prevention as the best way to avoid PAD or other heart conditions and recommends the following for all adults, especially those at risk:
• Maintain a heart-healthy weight and body mass index (BMI).
• Embrace an active lifestyle.
• Take a break from alcohol. Men should not consume more than two drinks a day. Women should limit alcohol to one drink per day.
• Reduce your salt intake. The American Heart Association recommends less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
• Consume not more than eight to ten percent of the day’s total calories from saturated fat and no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
• Stop smoking.
• Order periodic blood tests to monitor cholesterol, triglycerides (fat), homocysteine and C Reactive Protein levels.
• Understand your risk score. The American Heart Association recommends that all adults receive an annual global risk score to assess their risk of heart attack/stroke.
• Talk about your family history of heart attack and stroke with your physician, even if you have no symptoms.
• Hold stress in check.
Heart Healthy Celebration Featuring 1980 U.S. Olympic Team Hockey Goalie Jim Craig:
MetroSouth Medical Center is offering a special opportunity February 22, 3-5 p.m., in the hospital’s lobby. Free PAD screenings will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis and the public is invited to meet Jim Craig, goalie for the 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. He will discuss his family history of heart disease and hand out autographed photographs. In addition, there will be heart-healthy snacks, demonstrations of healthy eating by a nutritionist and a raffle for up to 20 screenings for abdominal aortic aneurysms. To find out more, log on to MetroSouthMedicalCenter.com. To register for the event, call Gloria at 708-489-7927.
