The Get a Pulse on PAD campaign raises awareness of peripheral artery disease. Dr. Foluso Fakorede at Cardiovascular Solutions of Central Mississippi says PAD affects millions of Americans who have never heard of the disease or its risks.
“PAD is the narrowing of the blood flow and circulation to your legs and to your arms. And if its not checked on time and if its not diagnosed on time, it leads to clogged up arteries and you have poor circulation and can lead to an amputation.”
Black people have the lowest reported awareness of the disease with only six percent aware of PAD and its consequences. One in five Hispanics Americans have PAD.
Fakorede says one in 20 adults will have peripheral artery disease. He says fatty deposits called plaque can become clogged in your arteries like your kitchen sink…
“As your kitchen sink is used for many years and that house gets older, it could be a healthy house but there’s a lot of goo and a lot of gunk in that kitchen sink pipe. Well that happens as we get older, there’s a build up of calcium and cholesterol in our arteries.”
Some risk factors of PAD include family history, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a history of nicotine or tobacco use.
Fakorede points out 400 amputations occur every day because of PAD. He says knowing symptoms and early warning signs is critical.
“If you have pain when you walk, if you have one extremity that’s cooler than the other, silently if you see there’s poor hair growth or your nail growth is abnormal, and your legs and your feet just don’t look right, go to your primary care doctor.”
For more information about peripheral artery disease, visit PADPulse.org.
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