Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 18: Ignoring blackened toes may not only lead to amputation of foot or leg, but can also cause onset of heart ailment.
This was stated by leading vascular surgeon Dr Ravul Jindal, Director of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, Punjab, while addressing media persons here today.
He said that the Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is associated with old age, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. “Those from rural areas have to walk a lot and hence develop symptoms of the disease in the form of pain in calf or thigh while walking. Unfortunately, these diseases are not diagnosed in time and patients ultimately land up with gangrene and consequent limb amputation,” Dr Jindal added.
The incidence of diseases varies from 4-6 percent in the population aged more than 50 years. Risk factors result in blockade of blood vessels in leg, causing loss of blood supply to foot with consequences such as infection, non-healing ulcer and gangrene (blackening of toes).
Dr Jindal, who has received advanced training in vascular surgical procedures from St Mary’s Hospital, London, said that the people suffering from PAD run two to six times greater risk of dying from heart attack or stroke as compared to others. “If not treated in time, patients might have to undergo amputation either of foot or leg. This carries huge morbidity and mortality as these patients also have associated heart disease,” he said. Smokers having diabetes are more prone to gangrene than only smokers or diabetics. The absence of early diagnosis worsens the problem.
“Therefore, it is very important that the doctor check pulse in feet every three months. Managing blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, apart from regular exercise, are best ways to prevent these diseases,” he further said.
Dr Jindal suggested that lifestyle should be charted to increase healthy circulation of blood from heart to various body parts and vice versa, besides administration of anti clogging or anti platelet drugs and specialized vascular surgery.
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