Blood circulation is how all the parts of the body move. When there is a clog in the circulation, the body parts are limited in the amount of motion they can do.  A growing issue regarding blood circulation is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). This involves a buildup of fatty plaque in the blood vessels, which reduces blood flow to the legs and feet. PAD is a tipping point that leads to more severe health problems like gangrene and amputation. Dr. Olamide Alabi is a vascular surgeon and an associate professor of surgery at Emory University Hospital School of Medicine. She explains why the Black community needs to be aware of this problem and what we can all do to keep our limbs attached.“Peripheral artery disease is a problem that ravages the black community. I think that if we better understood it, then people could find it earlier. Black patients are losing their limbs at two to four times the rate of white patients, and they don’t even know when they come in. They didn’t even know that they had this disease, which is another problem,” said Dr. Alabi.credit: AHAThe American Heart Association (AHA) released a report about PAD explaining that middle-aged adults who get PAD are at a higher risk of amputation. This medical issue can be developed at any age, and according to AHA, most individuals in the United States who get PAD are 65 or older. PAD is irreversible. Smoking and a sedentary lifestyle are some factors that lead to this result. The risk of this happening is higher if someone has diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. Amputation becomes an outcome when patients are dealing with chronic limb-threatening ischemia. This is a later stage of PAD where blood flow to the legs is severely blocked, and the individual feels pain in their legs even at rest. Revascularization is a method that can help with PAD. It is a medical procedure that improves blood flow but not everyone is a candidate for this opportunity. (Explain why).“When someone has peripheral artery disease but has no symptoms, or only has the symptoms when they walk, the risk for limb loss is quite low. We recommend walking therapy or medication. When someone has peripheral artery disease in an end-stage, like chronic limb-threatening ischemia, we have a conversation about revascularization. You have to be a good candidate for it. You can’t be knocking on death’s door and then wanting an operation to save your leg,” said Dr. Alabi. Georgia locals should be concerned about PAD because the southeast has the highest rate of amputation in the nation. Dr. Alabi explains that areas in Georgia have a high rate of diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. The AHA has a heat map that shows which parts of the country have the most activity regarding amputation. The medical organization also highlights health disparities, such as access to health care and housing, which have played a role in this matter.Ronald Abney is a Georgia resident who had his left leg amputated in March 2024. Pain in his foot was beginning, and the situation gradually got worse. Amputation was a dramatic experience for Abney. This procedure affected daily tasks like yard work, which he loved to do. What keeps him positive is the belief that he will be able to walk again. Abney is currently learning how to operate with a prosthetic leg. The Georgia resident encourages all adults with a weird feeling in their leg to get it checked out.“Amputation can cost you your life. If you have a family or kid, think about what you can’t do with them long term. When you see those small signs like aches and pains, get them checked out. It could save you a limb,” said Abney.The post Black community at higher risk of amputation due to Peripheral Artery Disease appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.