A
5200 Harry Hines Blvd.
,
Dallas
,
TX
75235
- connect with a hospital unit or department
- 214-590-8000
-
email us
- locate a patient
- connect with a hospital unit
- 214-590-8000
- schedule an appointment with our clinics if you are a new patient
- 214-590-5601
- praise staff or hospital
- report patient care issues
- 469-419-0820
-
email us
- help with financial issues
- registration and payment
- 214-590-4900
-
read more
- provide spiritual or emotional comfort
- 214-590-8512
-
learn more
- provide support for MyChart
- Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7p.m
- 214-590-7000
- register for a community event or Parkland speaker
- 214-590-1152
-
read more
- provide information about Parkland jobs
- 214-590-8073
-
read more
- provide information on products and equipment
- 214-590-4600
- provide supplier information
- 214-590-4600
- Visitation hours may vary by floor
- 214-590-8000
- Main Retail Café: Mon - Sun | 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Starbucks Café: WISH Building | Mon - Fri | 5:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Park Market Café: Mon - Fri | 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. | 8 p.m. - 4 a.m. | Sat -Sun | 7 p.m. - 4 a.m.
- Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- 214-590-8831
- Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Monday - Friday: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday: Closed
- Holiday hours may be different
Posted: 2/24/2015
Condition affects up to 20 percent of older Americans
Pain in your legs and feet isn’t necessarily a warning that you’ve been working too hard or that you’re simply getting older. It could be an alert of something more worrisome – peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, a relatively common condition that affects as many as 20 percent of Americans 65 years of age and older. Having this disease can also increase an individual’s risk of having heart disease.
During February Heart Month, experts at Parkland Health & Hospital System want to remind people that not all sources of potential heart problems are in a patient’s chest.
Peripheral arterial disease results from plaque build-up in the arteries of the legs, a process called atherosclerosis. Plaque can accumulate and grow, leading to narrowing of the arteries which can result in diminished blood flow and circulation. While PAD is a serious condition, it is treatable.
“The most common symptom is claudication, which is pain, tightness or cramping of the calves or hips; this tends to occur when walking and eases with rest,” said Michael Luna, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Parkland Memorial Hospital and assistant professor in the Internal Medicine Department at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “There are some patients who have more severe signs and symptoms and that usually indicates a more critical kind of PAD. These can include pain in the legs and feet even at rest, weakness of the legs or feet and open sores that won’t heal.”
Since many patients with peripheral arterial disease also have heart disease, health officials recommend that any of these symptoms be evaluated by a physician who specializes in cardiovascular disease.
Individuals who smoke, are inactive or overweight, or have high blood pressure or high cholesterol are at an especially high risk for developing PAD. Eliminating or modifying these risk factors through lifestyle changes, such as increased exercise, maintaining a healthy diet and stopping the use of tobacco products can significantly reduce one’s risk of developing not only PAD but cardiovascular disease as well.
“Although we recognize the immense challenge these lifestyle changes can pose for a patient, our goal is to avoid the most serious complications of PAD, which include amputation of a limb and even death,” Dr. Luna said.
Persons diagnosed with PAD may receive medications to prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, as well as control pain and other symptoms. There are times, however, when medications and lifestyle changes aren’t enough. Some patients may require medical procedures to improve circulation; these can include a catheterization procedure where a balloon is inflated in the segment of the artery that has narrowed and may include the insertion of a stent. Surgery is required in some cases to remove the plaque or to by-pass the narrowed artery area.
For more information about PAD, visit www.heart.org