Black men are more at risk of dying from PAD

The man in the photo was my husband for 40 years who passed away at age 63 on March 7 of this year. This image is from 2015 when we took a walk in a local park. My husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in May of 2012 and the following year was told he had PAD which is the abbreviation for Peripheral Artery Disease. He did his best to stick to a healthier diet and increase walking and exercise. He eventually also quit smoking and monitored his blood sugar closely but now 9 years later he is gone. PAD is progressive but it's possible to slow it down and perhaps even reverse it.

We had no idea at that time how deadly and insidious diabetes and the other issues it causes can be. My husband tried so hard to adhere to a new lifestyle but it was very difficult. I am writing this article to warn other especially black males that they may be at a higher risk for PAD if they are diabetic. PAD occurs when your pulmonary arteries thicken or grow rigid and become narrow inside. This decreases blood flow and makes it more difficult for the blood to get where it needs to go.

This causes your heart to work harder to pump blood through your pulmonary arteries. These arteries are then rendered unable to carry enough blood to your lungs and this causes inadequate air exchange. When this takes place, your body cannot obtain the necessary oxygen. This causes you to feel tired more easily. Fatigue was one of my husband's first symptoms that something was wrong along with pain in his right leg. He began having trouble walking and had to stop and rest more often.

The doctor who diagnosed and was treating my husband's PAD told him that walking would cause his body to grow new arteries and the blood would be rerouted. The pain did not allow him to walk as much as he desired so he was in a catch 22 situation. The first time I ever heard of someone dying from the hardening of the arteries was in the early 1980s. It was my childhood pastor who was 82 years old. I thought at that time this was a disease of older age but I know now that it is not. The 5 top risk factors for PAD are:

Being over age 50

Poor diet

Smoker

Black male

Diabetic

Sadly my husband had all 5 but did not have a clear understanding of the progression of this disease. From what I know now if Diabetics cannot get their blood sugar levels to remain stable more so than not it sets in motion a series of events that are as invasive and deadly as cancer. I know of men in their late 30s who lost vision or limbs due to diabetes. I am thankful this did not happen to my spouse. He did have some vision loss but the most damage was to his arteries. He also had narrowing in his carotenoid arteries (in the neck). During his journey, he had a heart attack but bounced back quickly.

Last October he had a massive stroke and did not recover. A few weeks earlier he had not been taking his medication regularly which included a daily aspirin. I discussed with him that he needed a health plan and should not just abruptly stop taking his meds. I believe he simply got tired of the pain, doctors, insulin injections, and medication. A few years back I was told of a young diabetic who at age 22 stopped taking his meds and died. This is so tragic and probably happens more than we realize.

The official cause of my husband's death was Cerebrovascular disease. In layman's terms, his arteries tightened until there was no blood flow to sustain his life. It sounds good in theory to tell someone to eat better, walk more and take all prescribed drugs but putting it into practice and maintaining the routine is often difficult. My advise to black males is to please do all you can to remain healthy. Eat as healthy as you can and walk, jog, or run often because it can extend your life.

One study I read said that those who have been diagnosed with advanced PAD have an average life expectancy of 4.9 years and my husband made it for 8 years. Statistics also report men living up to 15 years after the initial diagnosis. I want to add unofficially that I, myself, and several other African American females have been doing some research because we are noticing a disturbing trend. This is not true in every case but quite a lot of black males and females between ages 40-60 who are diagnosed with diabetes and end up having amputations, heart attacks, strokes, and artery disease have a common denominator.

The one thing that has been true for many of these individuals is that they had at some point been or just prior to death were addicted to crack cocaine. Medical personnel routinely ask patients about diet, exercise, cigarettes and alcohol use. They do not ask anyone about illegal drugs. Even if they did, most people would probably lie. I understand that even if the doctors told some people straight out that cocaine could hasten their death they might not listen.

I recall a man who was told by his doctor to quit drinking or he would die. His daughter prayed at his bedside and also begged him to give up drinking. He went home, kept drinking, and died. Addiction, whether to alcohol or drugs is a disease and no one is intentionally trying to end their own life. Even so, the word must be spread that crack although the medical community is not publishing and studies about it, African Americans all over the nation are taking note of the connection and spreading the word. Another common denominator is a diet filled with red meat and fatty foods.

Black men if you are diabetic and feeling fatigued, experiencing leg pain, and unable to walk as far as you used to you might be dealing with PAD. Please do all you can to get this under control and keep your blood flowing through your arteries. It will extend your life and your loved ones will not be left behind mourning your death. My sons and grandsons are well versed in the possibilities and are doing all they can now to prevent diabetes and all the other illnesses it causes.