Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Winter 2018 - 14

SPOTLIGHT
quitting smoking, being more physically active and losing extra weight.
Walk your way to better health.
Moderate exercise, like walking, can
help reduce plaque in your arteries.
Medications can help. Medications can
reduce PAD symptoms and control
related risk factors. Talk to your doctor.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

FIGHTING BACK
AGAINST PAD
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS VASCULAR
CONDITION AND HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK

"If you are having pain with walking,
it could be PAD, and without treatment,
it may progress," says Dr. Kundi. "Sometimes the narrow or blocked blood vessels need to be reopened or bypassed,
but that doesn't always mean surgery.
Sometimes if your PAD is mild enough,
your surgeon can treat you with a combination of medication, exercise therapy
and close monitoring." The Vascular
Center at UMMC Midtown Campus
offers many treatments for PAD, including minimally invasive procedures. Talk

eart attacks happen when one

heart attack and stroke and makes a

with your doctor about your options.

or more of the arteries supplying

person three times more likely to die

Common treatments include:

blood to the heart gets blocked.

from those conditions," says Rishi Kundi,

Angioplasty. A doctor threads

Over time, deposits of fat and choles-

MD, assistant professor of surgery at the

a catheter into the affected artery

terol (called plaque) can build up in the

University of Maryland School of Medi-

and inflates it, expanding the artery

heart's arteries, narrowing and some-

cine and vascular surgeon at University of

and increasing blood flow.

times completely blocking them.

Maryland Medical Center Midtown Cam-

Atherectomy. This procedure removes

pus. PAD can also cause painful symp-

the plaque buildup from the artery.

body's arteries, a condition called athero-

toms, including sharp pain or cramping

Bypass. A doctor surgically grafts a

sclerosis. When arteries in your arms and

in the legs when walking or exercising

portion of vein around the blocked

legs become hardened or narrowed with

(called claudication). Other symptoms

artery, bypassing the blockage.

plaque, it causes a condition called

include wounds that don't heal and

Endarterectomy. A surgeon cuts out

peripheral artery disease, or PAD.

gangrene, which can be life-threatening.

the plaque that is narrowing or block-

Plaque buildup can occur in all of your

Smokers are at very high risk of PAD,
and so are people with diabetes. Other

FIGHTING BACK

lifestyle-related factors, such as obesity,

There is a lot you can do to slow or stop

high cholesterol and high blood pressure,

the progression of PAD and stay healthy.

ing the artery, leaving the blood vessel
wide open.
If you suspect you have PAD, don't

also make developing PAD more likely.

Make lifestyle modifications. Reduce

wait. Early detection is important for your

If someone has a family history of PAD,

your risk of a heart attack or stroke by

long-term health.

he or she is at high risk of having it, too.

PROBLEMS WITH PAD?
"Being diagnosed with PAD may be the
first sign that you have atherosclerosis
in your body. PAD is strongly linked to

14 MARYLAND'S HEALTH MATTERS

LEARN MORE
The Vascular Center at UMMC Midtown Campus provides multidisciplinary
care for vascular disease, from diagnosis to a full range of treatment options.
To learn more or make an appointment, call 443-552-2900.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Winter 2018