What your feet could be telling you about your heart

 If your feet and legs show signs of peripheral arterial disease, it's possible your heart health is at risk as well
Posted on: Michigan Live

If you’re wondering about the health of your heart, try looking at your feet.

The lowly, stepped-on, shoe-squished foot could very well hold clues about the state of your coronary arteries. If your feet show signs of poor circulation – or peripheral arterial disease – your heart could be suffering as well.

The feet may not invoke the same romantic notions as the heart – few sonnets or love songs are written in their honor – but they deserve a little love, podiatrists say.

The Michigan Podiatric Medical Association, as part of February’s heart health emphasis, is urging people to have a simple test to check circulation in their feet for signs of PAD, which occurs when the arteries become narrowed by plaque.

Many people have no symptoms of PAD during the early stages. By the time symptoms are noticeable, the arteries often are significantly blocked.

The classic symptoms of PAD – pain in the legs when walking or at rest – occurs in only 10 percent of the patients, said Dr. Gregory Pellizzon, an interventional cardiologist with Saint Mary’s Health Care. And even those symptoms can be confusing. Patients often wonder if the ache in their legs comes from aging or arthritis.

Some also have symptoms of heart disease, such as shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest, but don’t realize it because the pain in their legs limits their activity.

“It’s really hard sometimes to quantify what is slowing someone down,” he said.

“I think podiatrists are great at picking up on PAD,” Pellizzon added. “They know what to look for in terms of skin changes, leg changes and the signs on their feet. Nine times out of 10, they’re right.”

Dr. Marisha Stawiski, a Grand Rapids podiatrist, says she regularly checks patients for the subtle signs that could indicate PAD.

A loss of hair on the feet is one possible sign of poor circulation. That doesn’t mean that people who have always had smooth, rather hairless feet have PAD, she said.

“But if you have somebody with a lot of body hair and none on their feet and ankles, it could indicate an arterial issue,” she said.

Different pulses, very cold feet or a change in color also could indicate a problem.

If she sees any signs of PAD, Stawiski recommends a simple, non-invasive test called an ankle-brachial index. It compares the blood pressure in the ankles to the blood pressure in the arms.

The earlier PAD is diagnosed, the more likely treatment will be effective.

Patients might enroll in a supervised exercise program, which can improve PAD and their heart health, Pellizzon said. Medication can help the arteries relax so they can walk farther.

In some cases, patients have ulcers and sores that are not healing, which can indicate tissue loss in the legs. Intervention is needed to restore circulation and save the limb. Treatments include angioplasty, stents, a bypass or procedures to remove plaque from the arteries.

Stawiski said many of her patients see cardiologists and family doctors regularly because they have diabetes or other conditions that put them at high risk for PAD. But in many cases, she sees the patients’ feet more often – every two to three months.

“It’s good to have another set of eyes on them,” she said.

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Those with risk factors for PAD should be screened or tested, podiatrists say. The risk factors include:
• Being older than 50
• Smoking (currently or previously)
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Personal or family history of PAD, heart disease, heart attack or stroke
• Sedentary lifestyle (infrequent or no exercise)

SOURCE: Michigan Podiatric Medical Association

Please call the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office in Las Vegas anytime @702-878-2455 between Monday – Friday and we would be happy to set up an appointment for you.  Please visit our website @ www.FallCenter.com.   The Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has Diagnostic imaging:  Digital X-Rays, Ultrasound or Advanced Imaging will be used to aid in the diagnosis.

Dr. Anthony Ricciardi at the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has completed training in endoscopic/minimally invasive surgery for chronic heel pain and nerve pain, foot and ankle joint replacement for restoring pain free motion, arthroscopic surgery, bunion surgery, fracture repair, flat foot correction, external fixation for complex deformities and extensive experience in peripheral nerve surgery including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and reconstructive surgery of previously failed foot surgical procedures.  In addition to his surgical training Dr. Ricciardi focuses on sports medicine of the foot and ankle through regenerative techniques using the patient’s own blood/platelets for healing chronic foot and ankle problems (pain) as a result of repetitive sport injuries.  This cutting edge technology enables patients to continue training with little or no down time.  Dr. Ricciardi continues to be active in teaching and training other podiatric surgeons on innovative surgical techniques in foot surgery.  Dr. Ricciardi is Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Fellow of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons.  Dr. Ricciardi’s vision is to bring each patient the most current state of the Art Technology and personalized treatment options to meet their Foot and Ankle needs (from conservative care to surgical options).  Dr. Ricciardi believes in quality service and puts his patients first!