If the disease worsens, more aggressive treatments can help unblock or bypass blood vessels to increase blood flow to the foot. Peripheral artery disease is more common among Black Americans, like my patient, in part because they are less likely to be effectively treated for its predisposing conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Many, like my patient, don’t seek treatment until they have a wound that won’t heal, the last stage before an amputation. Low-income adults, regardless of race, are at greater risk of advanced-stage peripheral artery disease. Black Americans also pay more for hospitalization costs and have a lower rates of successful limb salvage compared with white patients.

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