"Diabetic patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) can
respond as well as their non-diabetic counterparts to PAD
treatment, despite widespread assumptions that they do not,"
says Michael S. Conte, M.D., chief of Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery at UCSF Medical Center. "That's why it's important to
make the PAD diagnosis early in diabetics and to monitor their
PAD aggressively." It's especially important because the more
than 23 million Americans who have diabetes are at substantially
increased risk for PAD's most severe complications — especially
loss of limb. If a diabetic PAD patient is also a smoker, there
is a markedly increased risk of amputation. "It's like lighting
matches in a gas station," says Conte. Diabetics, of course, are
at risk for sores and blisters in weight-bearing areas. Because
diabetes can affect blood vessels, nerves and the immune system,
even a minor foot infection can be limb-threatening. PAD
exacerbates these clinical issues because of the way it hampers
circulation and, there