Thousands in Dallas may be Affected by Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
PAD is the biggest disease that most people have never heard about. Up to a staggering 18 million Americans1 suffer from PAD, a potentially life-threatening disease. As many as 93,000 people in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area may have PAD,2,3 a condition where plaque builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet.
There are more than 160,000 PAD-related amputations in the U.S. each year, so when left untreated, PAD can lead to amputation.4 And the rate of amputation for African-American and Hispanic-Americans with PAD is higher than for white Americans.
• African-Americans are twice as likely to be amputated as a result of advanced PAD as Caucasians.5
• Hispanics receive an amputation for PAD at a rate 50 percent higher than Caucasians.5
A new study published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, “Explaining Racial Disparities in Amputation Rates for the Treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) using Decomposition Methods,” concludes that compared to Caucasians, African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans have less access to limb-saving PAD procedures because they are being admitted to the hospital for treatment when they are sicker and more likely on an emergency basis.5
Some studies suggest that African-Americans may not feel the symptoms as early as Caucasians, therefore they do not seek treatment as early.6 A simple screening test, called an ankle-brachial index (ABI), in which the blood pressure in a person’s ankle is compared to the blood pressure in the arm, can be used to identify PAD in people who are at risk.
A national campaign, Take A Stand Against Amputation, is seeking to raise awareness of PAD and to encourage people with symptoms to talk to a doctor about the disease. The campaign website, www.StandAgainstAmputation.com, contains useful information about the disease, its risk factors, symptoms and treatment options. The campaign is gaining visibility in the Dallas area.
About National Minority Health Month
The U.S. Office of Minority Health’s theme for this year’s National Minority Health Month is Bridging Health Equity Across Communities. Throughout April, the office will work with its partners to raise awareness about efforts across health, education, justice, housing, transportation and employment sectors to address the factors known as the social determinants of health – environmental, social and economic conditions that impact health. More information is available on the office’s website, www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov.
PAD FACTS
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Area
PAD is more common than you realize:
• As many as 18 million Americans suffer from this potentially life-threatening disease1
• 1 in 20 Americans over the age of 50 has PAD2
• 1 in 3 people with diabetes over the age of 50 likely has PAD3
• That means as many as 93,600 people in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area could be affected by PAD2,4
• Each year 160,000 – 180,000 Americans undergo amputation of a limb as a result of complications associated with PAD5
Some PAD facts:
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition where plaque builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet, if left untreated, PAD can lead to amputation.
• PAD patients have more than 6 times the risk of death from coronary heart disease as those without PAD.6
• Smoking, the single greatest risk factor, increases the chance of developing PAD three to five times. Other common risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, kidney disease and heart disease.7
• People with diabetes and PAD have a ten times greater risk of amputation than people without diabetes.8
Symptoms of PAD
Many people think symptoms of PAD are just symptoms of aging. Therefore, they may ignore the symptoms and it may allow the disease to progress to a more severe state before it is diagnosed. The most common symptoms are:
• Leg pain that occurs when walking or exercising and disappears when the activity stops
• Leg muscle tiredness, heaviness, or cramping
• Leg and/or foot pain that disturbs sleep
• One leg/foot feels cooler than the other
• Toes or feet that look pale, discolored or blue
• Thick or yellow toenails that aren’t growing
• Sores/wounds on toes, feet, or legs that heal slowly, or not at all (more associated with Critical Limb Ischemia, the most advanced form of PAD)
