 The 82-year-old Jackson resident soon learned first hand about the illness when doctors told him he had a blocked artery in his leg.
He had been to several doctors to find out why several wounds on his right leg were not healing.
One finally referred him to a cardiologist who informed him that a lack of blood supply from PAD was causing the skin on his leg not to heal.
"I really didn't realize I had a problem until I had a serious leg wound," Speed said.
Doctors at Jackson Heart Clinic treated Speed by inserting a stent into the artery during a procedure that required a small incision near his groin.
After a few hours under light sedation, he recovered and has had no leg trouble since.
It's possible to treat many cases of PAD similarly, but people don't know they might have the disease, said Dr. William Crowder, a cardiologist at Jackson Heart Clinic.
PAD has gone relatively unnoticed because its symptoms can be tied to other illnesses such as diabetes. The American Heart Association reports about 8 million people have PAD.
Untreated, PAD can cause irreparable damage that could lead to disfigurement.
 "PAD is one of the main causes of amputations in Mississippi," Crowder said.
It occurs commonly in the legs, but it can also affect the arms and other arteries throughout the body.
It tends to afflict older people with risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure, but that's changing, Crowder said.
"Unfortunately, we're seeing patients younger and younger and that's from things like smoking and genetics," he said.
Jackson Heart Clinic treats five to 10 people a month for PAD, but Crowder said many more cases out there are not being treated.
The best way to find out if you have PAD is to get a blood pressure test that compares pressure in your arms with that in your legs.
If it's the same or similar, you're fine. If the legs have noticeably less pressure, then you could have PAD and further tests should be done.
Jackson Heart Clinic is offering free blood pressure tests March 29 at the clinic on Lakeland Drive to anyone concerned about PAD.
| PAD SYMPTOMS |
- Aching, cramping or pain in the legs during walking or exercise that goes away when resting
- Pain in toes and feet at night
- Ulcers or sores on feet or legs that are slow in healing
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Symptoms can range from leg pain when walking to numbness and tingling in the legs and feet.
Treatment for PAD used to involve surgery to complete a complicated bypass of the affected artery.
But new technology developed during the past few years has given doctors and patients a simpler and less invasive technique.
Patients typically spend about a day in the hospital after the minimally invasive procedure.
Doctors use a catheter to get into the blocked artery and remove the plaque. They then place a stent, which resembles a small spring, into the vessel. |
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 Most patients are up and walking within hours of the procedure, Crowder said.
James Dixon, 66, could barely walk before he had his procedure to treat PAD last December.
"I couldn't go 100 yards without having pain so bad," he said. "I had to stop because the pain got so bad."
His main symptom, like Speed, was wounds on his legs that would not heal. He also had trouble with the feeling in his legs and feet.
He had a stent put in during a procedure he describes as something like a "Roto-Rooter job," for his arteries.
He has recovered and is able to walk better and do more than he could before.
The retired Jackson deputy police chief has taken a part-time job and is getting ready to go on a cruise soon.
"I don't have any pain anymore," he said.
He tells everyone who thinks they may have PAD to go have it checked out.
"It'll be worth their time to do this," he said.
Copyright (c) The Clarion-Ledger. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
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