Does Living in Louisiana Increase Your Chance of Losing a Limb?
- Category: Heart & Vascular, Heart Health
- Posted On:
- Written By: Dr. Vincent Weaver, Vascular Surgery
Though many people think of injuries or accidents when they think of amputations, more than half result from complications of cardiovascular issues. One major culprit is peripheral artery disease (PAD), a recurring build-up of plaque in the arteries that limits blood flow to the legs and feet.
If not identified and managed properly, PAD can lead to leg, foot or toe amputations, and it is the leading cause of amputation in people age 50 and older. New information from the American Heart Association shows that Louisianians have nearly the highest risk in the U.S. when it comes to these life-altering complications.
Often dismissed as normal signs of aging, symptoms of PAD can include painful cramping, numbness or discoloration in the legs or feet, though about half of people show no symptoms. Having diabetes increases a person’s risk of PAD, as does smoking and having high blood pressure. Over 14% of people in Louisiana have diagnosed diabetes, and it’s estimated that over 110,000 people have diabetes but don’t know it. Still, many people who are at high risk don’t know what PAD is.
PAD affects as many as 12 million people in the United States, and African Americans are twice as likely to develop the condition, according to research from AHA’s PAD Collaborative. Undiagnosed or unmanaged PAD can cause tissue to die in the toes, feet and legs, and in severe cases surgical amputation may be the only option.
Early diagnosis and treatment is key to preventing amputations and other complications, like an increased risk of stroke and heart attack, and even death. Nearly half of people 65 and older who had a limb amputated because of PAD died within a year of surgery, according to AHA.
The best prevention for PAD is to stop smoking, have regular physical activity, healthy cholesterol levels, and recognize its signs and symptoms:
- Cramping in the hips, thighs or calves when walking, climbing stairs or exercising.
- Leg pain that doesn't go away when you stop exercising
- Foot or toe wounds that won't heal or heal very slowly
- A marked decrease in the temperature of your lower leg or foot compared to the other leg or the rest of your body
- Poor nail growth on the toes or hair growth on the legs
If you have symptoms, or are at a higher risk for PAD, talk to your doctor about getting screened. The most common tests to diagnose PAD include ankle-brachial index (ABI), which compares the blood pressure in the ankle with the blood pressure in the arm, or a vascular ultrasound that shows how the blood is moving through the arteries and veins.
