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The Risk Factors, Symptoms and Treatment of PAD
Although as many as 12 million Americans have peripheral artery disease, or PAD, which significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, many people know nothing about it.
PAD is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply your legs, feet and arms with fresh blood. In PAD, fatty deposits line the walls of blood vessels. It slows the blood flow and can lead to blockages.
The most common symptoms are cramping, pain or tiredness in leg or hip muscles while walking or climbing stairs. In many cases, those with PAD misinterpret this pain as joint pain.
According to the American Heart Association, of the 12 million people who are affected by PAD nearly 75 percent will never experience symptoms. Furthermore, women are less likely to have symptoms than men.
People often assume that leg cramps and walking difficulties are related to getting older. Those with diabetes sometimes confuse PAD pain with a neuropathy, a common diabetic symptom that is a burning or painful discomfort of the feet or thighs.
Characteristically, PAD pain goes away at rest and returns when activity resumes. In later stages, circulation may persist at rest - especially at night. In more advanced cases, inadequate blood supply can lead to sores, gangrene and can even require amputation.
Other symptoms of PAD may include:
- Leg numbness or coldness in the feet.
- Sores on feet or legs that won't heal.
- A change of color in the feet.
- Hair loss on feet and legs, or changes in toenails.
- Erectile dysfunction in men.
Certain risk factors for PAD, such as aging or having a family history of PAD, cardiovascular disease or stroke, are essentially unavoidable. But some risk factors can be controlled, including:
- Cigarette smoking. According to the American Heart Association, smokers have four times the risk of PAD as nonsmokers.
- Diabetes.
- Obesity.
- Physical inactivity.
- High cholesterol. Because it directly contributes to the buildup of plaque in the arteries, managing cholesterol levels is essential to prevent or treat PAD.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not only a key to reducing your risk for PAD, it is also the best thing you can do to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.
PAD treatments
Treatment for PAD focuses on reducing symptoms and preventing further progression of the disease.
In most cases, lifestyle changes, exercise and medications are enough to slow the progression or even reduce the symptoms of PAD. Surgical procedures are generally reserved for cases with considerable risk to tissues or for cases where PAD is directly threatening a patient's lifestyle or ability to work.
If you are experiencing any PAD symptoms, contact your physician.
To help with early diagnosis, Hoag recommends registering for a vascular screening. Vascular health screening improves assessment of cardiovascular risk, particularly in individuals who have a family history of heart disease, cholesterol disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes or who smoke.
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