Peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, occurs when arteries harden and narrow owing to a buildup of fatty deposits, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. These changes deprive the body of the oxygen-rich blood it needs to function properly. The condition is most common in the legs but can affect other parts of the body. Many patients with PAD have no symptoms, but those who do experience leg pain when walking, numbness, heaviness, weakness, changes in skin color or texture, cramping and poor wound healing. Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms and preventing complications.
Exercise
Exercise plays a role in the treatment of PAD. Regular physical activity can reduce PAD symptoms and help the body use oxygen more efficiently, according to the Mayo Clinic. A doctor may recommend a supervised exercise program tailored to a patient's needs and abilities and monitored by medical personnel. Exercise programs aim to gradually increase the distance a patient can walk without pain.
Lifestyle Changes
Depending on a patient's needs and medical condition, a doctor may also recommend a number of healthy lifestyle changes to treat PAD. These changes address the underlying problem of hardening arteries, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Lifestyle changes that can help improve PAD include quitting smoking, lowering high blood pressure and high cholesterol, bringing diabetes under tighter control, changing to a heart-healthy diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables and losing weight.
Drugs
A doctor may prescribe a number of different medications to treat PAD. The choice of medication depends on a patient's needs, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Medications may include drugs to lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol, diabetes medications and blood thinners or aspirin to prevent clots from forming related to the restricted flow of blood through PAD-affected arteries. Drugs such as cilostazol and pentoxifylline can improve blood flow to the legs by preventing blood clots and widening the blood vessels, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Bypass Surgery
If blood flow in a patient's leg is blocked, he may require a bypass graft, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. In this procedure, a surgeon uses a piece of blood vessel from elsewhere in the body or an artificial tube to create a bypass at a blockage, allowing blood to flow around the affected area, increasing blood flow to the leg and reducing symptoms.
Angioplasty
Doctors may also use a procedure called angioplasty to treat PAD. This procedure can help restore the flow of blood through a blocked or partially blocked artery, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. A catheter with a deflated balloon on the end is inserted into a blockage, and the balloon is inflated to widen the artery. Sometimes a stent, which is a tiny mesh tube, is placed into the artery to keep it propped open after the procedure is finished. The stent may be coated with medicine that helps prevent future blockages.
Thrombolytic Therapy
If a blood clot blocks a peripheral artery, doctors can inject a special clot-dissolving drug directly into the blockage, according to the Mayo Clinic. This treatment, called thrombolytic therapy, can break up the clot and restore blood flow to the affected limb.
