Health Essentials - Winter 2012 - Marymount - (Page 7)

Ask the Doctor I am a 70-year-old person with diabetes and high cholesterol. My legs are so achy that I avoid walking. My doctor says this may be due to a heart problem. How could this be? While it seem strange A:problemsmaycondition this that a heart can cause in your legs, can happen when people have peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a common circulatory problem caused by narrowed arteries that restrict the flow of blood Javier AlvarezTostado, MD, to the limbs. Reduced blood flow is Vascular Surgery usually caused by atherosclerosis, accumulated fatty deposits in your arteries that restrict blood flow to parts of your body, including the arteries to your legs. For people with PAD, inadequate blood flow to the legs can cause pain. Since you have diabetes and high cholesterol, you are at an increased risk for developing PAD. Other risk factors include smoking, advanced age, a family history of PAD, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and being overweight. The two goals of PAD treatment are to manage symptoms, such as leg pain, and to stop the disease from progressing. Even if you are not having symptoms, PAD increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Lifestyle changes such as eating healthy foods, exercising and quitting smoking are the natural ways to control cholesterol and MAryMounT.org (call) experIenCIng leg pAIn? CAll for An AppoInTMenT please call 216.587.4280 to schedule an appointment with Cleveland Clinic Vascular Surgery at Marymount Hospital. diabetes and maintain a normal blood pressure. When this is not enough, your doctor may prescribe medications to relieve pain, prevent blood clots and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Some PAD patients need to undergo angioplasty, or surgery. During angioplasty, a vascular surgeon threads a catheter (a small, hollow tube) through a blood vessel to the problem artery, where a small balloon at the end of the catheter is inflated to open up the artery and increase blood flow. Occasionally surgeons place a stent in the artery to keep it open. —Javier Alvarez-Tostado, MD, a Cleveland Clinic vascular surgeon, practices at Marymount Hospital. HeAlTH eSSenTIAlS 7 http://www.MARYMOUNT.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Health Essentials - Winter 2012 - Marymount

Health Essentials - Winter 2012 - Marymount
Contents
A message from the interim president
Is your pregnancy high-risk? Here's how to prepare
Doing it her way
Help for seniors struggling with mental issues
Our expert answers your questions
Don't miss these health events and screenings

Health Essentials - Winter 2012 - Marymount