According to the statistics published by the American Heart Association in August 2010, eight million Americans have peripheral artery disease. Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is the narrowing of the peripheral arteries, usually in the arteries of the legs and pelvis. This results in a lack of blood flow to the patient's legs. If left untreated PAD can result in gangrene or amputation because the legs cannot receive enough blood.
Signs and Symptoms
According to MayoClinic.com patients with PAD may exhibit cramping at the hip, thigh or calf muscles after walking or activity, weakness or numbness in the leg(s), one foot may feel colder than the opposite foot, sores on the foot or leg that take longer than normal to heal, color change in the legs or shiny skin on the legs. Other symptoms include hair loss or slower growth of hair on feet or legs, no pulse or a weak pulse in the patient's legs and feet and erectile dysfunction in men. Some patients with PAD won't exhibit any symptoms or have very mild symptoms. Patients with severe PAD may have pain when resting or when sleeping.
Causes and Risk Factors
MayoClinic.com reports that PAD is often caused by atherosclerosis, which is the narrowing of arteries due to fatty buildup called plaque. Arteries narrowed by plaque reduce the blood flow to the body, especially to extremities farthest from the heart. Other causes, although rare, include injury to a person's legs, radiation exposure, blood vessel inflammation or an unusual arrangement of the person's ligaments and muscles that would reduce blood flow. Those who are high risk for developing PAD include those with high blood pressure or high cholesterol, diabetics, smokers, those with a family history of PAD and those older than 50.
Diagnostic Tools
According to MayoClinic.com, a common test called the ankle-brachial index, or ABI, can be used to diagnose a person with PAD. The doctor will take the patient's blood pressure in his or her ankle and compare it to the blood pressure reading from the patient's arm. A second test is to have the patient walk on a treadmill to determine the difference in blood pressure when walking and when at rest. A special ultrasound can show blood flow throughout the patient's body and if there are any narrow or blocked arteries. PAD can also be diagnosed by an angiography is which the doctor injects a dye into the patient's blood vessels to see the flow of blood as it circulates throughout the body.
Treatment
According to the American Heart Association, if the patient has high blood pressure or high cholesterol, then he or she will be given medications to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. The patient may also be given cilostazol and pentoxifyline to help increase the distance he or she can walk. The doctor may also prescribe aspirin and clopidogrel to help prevent blood clots. A few patients may need a stent placed in the narrowed or clogged artery to improve blood flow.
Prevention
According to the American Heart Association, PAD can be prevented or controlled by regular physical activity, a healthy diet and smoking cessation. Exercising at least 30 minutes three times a week can help a person lower blood pressure and cholesterol and lose weight. A healthy diet low in fats, salt and cholesterol will also help prevent plaque from building up in the arteries. According to the American Heart Association's statistics published in August 2010, smokers are four times more likely to develop PAD than nonsmokers. Quitting smoking will help slow the progression of PAD as well as other heart diseases.
