10:00 pm
Friday 26 August 2022
I wrote – Amira Helmy
You may already know that cardiovascular disease is among the leading causes of death for men and women in most countries, but few people are aware that a wide range of coronary artery conditions fall under this blanket term.
When we talk regarding heart-related deaths, we might be talking regarding the “biggest one” – a heart attack or stroke – but more often than not, the culprit is a lesser known coronary condition such as peripheral artery disease (PAD).
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Experts are urging the public to be aware of the signs of peripheral arterial disease, including a sudden red flag that comes in the form of gradual weakness in one part of the body.
Read on to find out what symptoms mean it’s time to get your heart checked, and why you should include a PAD scan, bestlifeonline says.
If you feel weakness in your leg muscles, check your heart.
If you have weakness in your legs, it might be due to peripheral artery disease, a condition in which blood vessels become increasingly narrowed or blocked.
When blood flow becomes restricted in the lower legs — the area where the blood vessels are most likely to be affected by peripheral arterial disease — many patients develop muscular atrophy. If this happens, you may notice cramping or wasting of muscle tissue in your lower legs.
According to a 2020 study published in Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, a journal of the American Heart Association (AHA), “Peripheral artery disease of the lower extremities is associated with reduced calf muscle area, increased fatty infiltration of calf muscles, and fibrosis.”
As a result, many PAD patients have impaired mobility.
Decreased physical activity is the most common cause of muscle atrophy in aging individuals.
However, the opposite is also true, muscle atrophy may in turn lead to further reduced mobility in PAD patients, and this can lead to a dangerous episode that is difficult to reverse.
Because perfusion in the lower extremities is reduced and the delivery of energy and oxygen to the leg muscles, people with PAD walk significantly shorter distances on a six-minute walking test, have a slower walking speed and lower physical activity than people without PAD.
The American Heart Association study reports that, over six months, people with PAD typically regress 10 miles from the distance they can walk in six minutes, and report 20 to 25% new loss of movement, defined as difficulty walking up and down On a flight of stairs or walking a quarter of a mile unassisted.
According to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, in addition to causing reduced mobility, research indicates that those with muscle wasting caused by PAD often have specific mitochondrial abnormalities within affected leg tissues.
The study authors explained that these abnormalities are thought to cause oxidative stress, reduce calcium retention, and promote cell death, “Therefore, targeting mitochondria may be a promising therapeutic approach in PAD.” PAD might have other serious consequences.
Besides the effect that PAD can have on your muscle tone, strength and physical endurance, it can also have significant effects on the health of your broader heart, because PAD is caused by a buildup of fatty plaques in an artery.
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