HEALTH
Vascular , coronary procedures help Karla Gordon get back to normal life
By Glenda Sanders • Contributing Writer Photos by Michael Spears
In August 2020 , Karla Gordon found it difficult to walk even a short distance either around her house , outside or while shopping . “ I was having trouble just walking every day ,” she said . A resident of Philadelphia , Gordon suffers from peripheral artery disease , a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce the blood flow from the heart to other parts of the body , especially the arms and legs . It is caused by the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries and can lead to pain in the legs , especially when walking .
Gordon , who is 57 , is all too familiar with symptoms that can be related to her heart , so she knew she needed to see her physician .
She was first diagnosed with heart disease at the age of 40 . Although a little shocked because of her age , she was not completely surprised . She was a smoker and her father and grandparents on both sides of the family all had heart disease .
20 • TIMELESS MERIDIAN