Peripheral Artery Disease Affects the Same Number of Americans As Cancer

PALM COAST, Fla., October 19, 2017 On Oct. 10, the community joined Florida Hospital Flagler for a physician-led seminar about peripheral artery disease (PAD), the diseases of blood vessels outside of the heart and brain.

Florida Hospital Flagler interventional cardiologist Dr. Amit Nanavati explained that this common circulatory disease causes narrowed arteries to reduce blood flow to the limbs, typically the legs. Untreated PAD can lead to painful symptoms or the amputation of a leg. In addition, patients with PAD have an increased risk of coronary artery disease, stroke and heart attack.

Smoking is the single most important modifiable risk factor for prevention of PAD. This one lifestyle choice increases the risk of PAD four-fold. More than 80 percent of patients with PAD are either current or former smokers, Nanavati said to the crowd. In smokers, PAD usually develops about 10 years earlier than nonsmokers and it is more likely to progress with worse outcomes. Smokers with PAD have double the risk of amputation and poor survival rates.

PAD is primarily caused by the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis. This can occur in any blood vessel, but it is more common in the legs than the arms.

PAD is very common in the US and it affects both men and women, Nanavati said. In fact, PAD affects the same number of Americans as cancer. There are approximately 11 million with cancer in the US. In comparison, PAD affects between 8-12 million.

About Florida Hospital Flagler

Florida Hospital Flagler is a member of AdventHealth, a faith-based health care organization with 45 hospital campuses and 8,200 licensed beds in nine states, serving more than 5 million patients annually. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, Florida Hospital Flagler has 99-beds and is one of the seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region has 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees. For more information about Florida Hospital Flagler, visit www.FloridaHospitalFlagler.com.

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On Oct. 10, the community joined Florida Hospital Flagler interventional cardiologist Dr. Amit Nanavati for a free seminar about peripheral artery disease (PAD), the diseases of blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. Untreated PAD can lead to painful symptoms or the amputation of a leg. In addition, patients with PAD have an increased risk of coronary artery disease, stroke and heart attack.