Recorded live in front of an audience at the famous Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City. Joseph Tuma, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, Interventional Cardiologist at Heart and Vascular Institute, joins Mark Houston for a fascinating conversation regarding peripheral vascular disease, which is when cholesterol builds up in arteries other than those that are in the heart. Knowing the symptoms and early detection is crucial. Among those particularly at risk are people who smoke, who have high blood pressure or who have diabetes. Dr. Tuma lists common symptoms, like wounds that won’t heal, and claudication, which is cramping pain from walking that gets better when you rest.
Dr. Tuma also covers a subtype of peripheral vascular disease, such as when there are weak spots in the arteries that begin to dilate, called aneurysmal disease, and some recent advancements in cardiovascular treatments that the HVI team has implemented. If you’re showing symptoms, Dr. Tuma also gives suggestions of how to work with your primary care provider to get screened and the kinds of tests and equipment used to detect peripheral vascular disease and other associated conditions.