Many people have a condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD) and they don’t even know it.

Yazan Ghosheh, M.D., an interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine specialist with our Heart Clinics, describes the symptoms.

“From pain in the calves, legs, buttocks or thighs when you walk to ulcers and gangrene, which are the extreme symptoms. This can wake you up when you are asleep, and you may have to sit up to dangle your legs on the side of the bed for the pain to go away.”

Lifestyle changes and medical treatment can help.

“It’s very important to change the trajectory of the disease,” says Dr. Ghosheh. “If we catch it early on and change the risk factors, we can save the legs and reduce the chances of future heart attacks and strokes.

Learn more about heart care at CHI St. Vincent.