| BY ELINOR NAUEN | | | | you have a one in four chance of having PAD." |
| You walk a block, then clutch your leg with what | | | | Also at risk are African Americans and anyone |
| feels like a charley horse. You stop, and the pain | | | | with chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, |
| does too. The discomfort may be a warning of a | | | | high blood cholesterol or a personal or family |
| common yet serious condition called peripheral | | | | history of vascular disease, heart attack or |
| arterial disease (PAD). | | | | stroke. An estimated 8 to 12 million people in this |
| In PAD, the same fatty material that can clog | | | | country have PAD. |
| heart arteries builds up in the arteries of the legs, | | | | If you have risk factors, talk to your doctor, |
| blocking blood flow. The risk for death from heart | | | | whether or not you have symptoms. The PAD |
| attack or stroke is six to seven times greater in | | | | Coalition, a consortium of health organizations and |
| people with PAD-equivalent to the risk of | | | | government agencies, recommends that those at |
| someone who's had a heart attack or stroke. | | | | risk get a quick, painless, accurate and inexpensive |
| Without prompt treatment, one in four people | | | | diagnostic test called an ABI (ankle-brachial index). |
| with the condition will suffer a heart attack, | | | | The good news: PAD is both preventable and |
| stroke or amputation or die within five years. | | | | treatable. "PAD is a common and serious disease, |
| PAD is most often recognized when it causes | | | | which merits immediate and lifelong attention," |
| claudication-fatigue, cramps, tiredness or pain in | | | | says Dr. Hirsch. "Become informed and take |
| the leg or buttock muscles that goes away when | | | | actions to protect your health." |
| you stop walking. Less frequently, PAD can cause | | | | Arms for Legs |
| ulcers or slow-healing wounds on the feet or toes, | | | | While exercise is helpful for people with PAD, |
| or pain in the feet or toes that disturbs sleep. | | | | walking-a typical workout for sufferers-can also |
| However, as many as half to two thirds of those | | | | be painful. Diane Treat-Jacobson, R.N., Ph.D., |
| with the condition have no symptoms. | | | | assistant professor at the University of Minnesota |
| As with coronary heart disease, key risk factors | | | | in Minneapolis, has done studies on the effects of |
| for PAD are having diabetes, smoking or having | | | | exercise on people with PAD. She recently |
| smoked, and being over age 50. "If you have no | | | | discovered that supervised training using aerobic |
| other risk factors, age alone will increase risk-and | | | | arm exercise was as beneficial as treadmill walking |
| yet risk rapidly increases even in younger people | | | | in improving walking distance. Treat-Jacobson |
| who smoke or have diabetes," says Alan T. | | | | notes that while results are preliminary, arm |
| Hirsch, M.D., professor of epidemiology at the | | | | exercise might be a pain-free option that can |
| University of Minnesota School of Public Health in | | | | "help break the cycle of disability or enable |
| Minneapolis. "We want people to recognize that if | | | | patients to start exercising sooner after a surgical |
| you are over 50 and have any other risk factor, | | | | procedure. |