Peripheral Arterial Disease
What is peripheral arterial disease?
A blockage in the blood vessels that considerably reduces blood flow to the limbs, typically the legs, is known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The obstruction may be brought on by swelling or a clot, but atherosclerosis, a disorder marked by hardened and constricted arteries brought on by fatty deposits known as plaques, is the most frequent cause. Atherosclerosis normally damages blood vessels all over the body and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in the patient.
Reduced blood flow reduces the amount of oxygen the tissues have access to, which can cause discomfort, ulcers that don't heal, infections in the limbs, and finally tissue death known as gangrene. The damaged limb could need to be removed if left untreated.
Risk Factors
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Increasing age
- Family history of vascular disease, including heart attack or stroke
- Inactive lifestyle
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- High LDL and low HDL
Symptoms
- Claudication, or uncomfortable leg cramps that develop while moving
- Leg or foot discomfort, tingling, weakness, or numbness
- unhealed sores or lesions on the legs or feet
- chilly legs or feet
- Having blue or light legs or feet
- low or absent pulse in the legs or feet
- slow growth of the nails and hair
Diagnosis
During a physical checkup, your healthcare professional can notice the aforementioned symptoms. Additional tests that could be run consist of:
- ABI measures the difference between the blood pressure in the arms and legs.
- Doppler ultrasound angiography (contrast-enhanced X-ray to see blood vessels)
- MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography)
- Angiography using computed tomography (CTA)
- Blood tests to examine cholesterol and lipid levels may also be carried out because atherosclerosis is a common cause of PAD.
Treatments
- Angiography
- Balloon angioplasty
- Stents and stent-grafts