Newswise — P.A.D. occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits, reducing blood flow to the legs. This can result in leg muscle pain when walking, disability, amputation, and poor quality of life. Blocked arteries found in people with P.A.D. can be a red flag that other arteries, including those in the heart and brain, may also be blocked – increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
November is National Diabetes Month, and the Vascular Disease Foundation and its P.A.D. Coalition are urging people with diabetes to be alert to the warning signs of P.A.D. People with P.A.D. may have one or more of the following symptoms:
• “Claudication” – fatigue, heaviness, tiredness or cramping in the leg muscles (calf, thigh or buttocks) that occurs during activity such as walking and goes away with rest. • Foot or toe pain at rest that often disturbs sleep • Skin wounds or ulcers on the feet or toes that are slow to heal (or that do not heal for 8 to 12 weeks).
Unfortunately, P.A.D. is often a silent disease, causing no recognizable symptoms. National medical guidelines recommend that adults over 50 years of age with diabetes be tested for P.A.D. Testing should also be considered in patients under 50 years of age with diabetes and at least one other cardiovascular risk factors such as a history of smoking, abnormal cholesterol and/or high blood pressure. The test for P.A.D. is called the ankle-brachial index, a painless, non-invasive test that compares the blood pressure in the ankles with the blood pressure in the arms.
“Poor circulation in the legs – particularly in people with diabetes – is a serious problem,” stated Joseph Caporusso, DPM, Chair of the P.A.D. Coalition. “Without proper blood flow, a minor problem such as a cut or blister may not heal properly and may lead to an infection. If not treated promptly, these problems can result in amputation of a toe, foot or part of the leg.”
For a free “Heart and Sole Kit” with more information on P.A.D., please visit www.padcoalition.org or call 1.866.PAD.INFO (723.4636). A free interactive workbook on managing P.A.D. is available at www.MyPADguide.org.
P.A.D. Coalition The Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Coalition is an alliance of leading health organizations, vascular health professional societies, and government agencies united to raise public and health professional awareness about lower extremity P.A.D. Established in 2004, the P.A.D. Coalition is a division of the Vascular Disease Foundation (www.vdf.org), a national, not-for-profit section 501(c)(3) organization and is supported by the following national sponsors: the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership; Cordis Endovascular, a division of Cordis Corporation; Abbott Vascular; AstraZeneca; Bard Peripheral Vascular; BioMedix; Cook, Inc; ev3 Endovascular, Inc.; W.L. Gore & Associates; Hokanson; PADTest; and Summit Doppler. For more information, visit www.PadCoalition.org.
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