Dr. John Phillips

The Connection between CAD and PAD

What You Should Know about the CAD-PAD Connection

The Connection between CAD and PAD

It’s tempting to focus only on one thing at a time, especially when it comes to a medical issue. However, there are many interrelated conditions that are important to pay attention to for your long-term health — such as the connection between coronary artery diseaseA disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. (CAD) and peripheral artery diseasePeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous tissue, and other substances in the blood. (PADPeripheral Artery Disease, a potentially life threatening disease where plaque, like calcium, builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet.).

If a person has blockage in the heart arteriesArteries are blood vessels that carry blood to your heart and other parts of your body., there may be blockages in the legs as well, according to Dr. John Phillips, an interventional cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio. If you have CAD, there is a 15 to 20% likelihood that you also have PAD.

If you’ve experienced a heart attack or have CAD while experiencing PAD symptoms, ask your doctor to check for PAD.

How to Assess for Additional Blockages

You can see if you’re at risk for PAD by taking our Stand Against Amputation Symptom quiz. Then share the results with your cardiologist at your next appointment. After discussing risk factors and potential symptoms, your doctor can assess for PAD. This is done by a simple, noninvasiveNoninvasive procedures don’t require a cut or incision through the skin. Standard eye exams or X-rays are examples of noninvasive procedures. test is called an ankle-brachial indexThis is the ratio of the systolic blood pressure (SBP) measured at the ankle to that measured in the arm artery. It is sometimes also called the ankle-arm index. (ABI) and it’s covered by most insurance plans. This is one of the best methods to determine if you have PAD and the severity of the condition.

Don’t Delay — Advocate for Your Health

If you have CAD, it may feel difficult to face the fact that you could have other arteryArteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. blockages. However, getting an ABI test and the appropriate follow-up care can make a major difference in your life. Early detection can help stop PAD from getting worse — and potentially save a toe or leg from amputationTo surgically remove all or part of a limb (leg, foot or toe).¹⁷

“Heart attacks scare people,” says Dr. Phillips. “There isn’t enough awareness of PAD. But early detection is so important. It’s not curable yet, but we can help patients live more active lives with the appropriate medical therapy.”

For more information

Learn more about PAD on our Take a Stand Against Amputation^® website. If you need help finding a doctor or getting a second opinion, use the Find a Doctor tool to help explore the PAD treatment options available to you.

Consider a Doctor’s Reputation When Looking for a Second Opinion Before Amputation

Consider a Doctor’s Reputation When Looking for a Second Opinion Before AmputationTo surgically remove all or part of a limb (leg, foot or toe)

There are 160,000 amputations related to peripheral artery diseasePeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous tissue, and other substances in the blood. (PADPeripheral Artery Disease, a potentially life threatening disease where plaque, like calcium, builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet.) performed every year in the U.S.³ Many of these patients might have avoided such a drastic procedure with a strong clinical support team.

Gain Insight Before Making a Decision

In this video, Kym McNicholas, founder of The Way to My Heart (a non-profit that directly supports patients in their effort to get high-quality care for PAD), and Dr. John Phillips, an interventional cardiologist at OhioHealth Physician Group in Columbus, OH, discuss exploring every possibility before accepting an amputation:

Don’t just follow doctor’s orders when faced with amputation. Actively seek a second opinion if your doctor isn’t a PAD specialist or doesn’t offer a limb salvage programA hospital-based, physician-led, comprehensive program in which health care providers coordinate your care among the multiple specialties involved with the goal of saving your legs, feet or toes from amputation..³³

Unfortunately, amputation as a treatment is often accepted at face value.

“Patients that have been raised to trust their doctors ― no matter what ― will listen to whatever their doctor says,” says Dr. Phillips. “And if the doctor says it’s an amputation, it’s an amputation.”

People suffering from PAD are also in extreme pain and discomfort. “So many patients get to the point where the pain is so excruciating that they can’t imagine that anything, any procedure, could take away that pain except for just simply cutting it off,” says McNicholas.

Cutting off your limb isn’t always the only option. There are many treatment options available, including lifestyle changes, medical management, minimally invasiveIn minimally invasive surgery, surgeons use a variety of techniques to operate with less injury to the body than with open surgery. In general, it is safer than open surgery and allows you to recover faster and heal with less pain and scarring. procedures and arterial bypass surgeryYour doctor will create a graft bypass using a vessel from another part of the body or a blood vessel made of synthetic fabric. This technique allows blood to flow around – or bypass – the blocked or narrowed artery.. In addition to getting a second opinion, leverage the services offered by The Way to My Heart, talk to friends, family members and even Facebook groups or chatrooms to gain insight into other PAD patients’ experiences before making a potentially life-changing decision.

For More Information

You must be your biggest advocate as a patient to find the best doctor for you. Watch the full video to learn more about getting a second opinion before moving forward with an amputation. You can also learn more about PAD and find a PAD specialist near you by using CSI’s Find a Doctor tool.