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Peripheral Artery Disease


 

Get A Leg Up On PAD

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects around 20 percent of Americans over the age of 65. As cholesterol and scar tissue accumulate over the years, plaque builds up and begins to clog the arteries. This causes decreased blood flow to the lower body, leading to hip and leg pain and even requiring further medical attention at times.

Detect the signs of PAD

The symptoms of PAD are sometimes overlooked or mistaken for part of the normal aging process. Know what common symptoms to look for and contact us if you’re experiencing the following:

  • Painful leg cramping with walking that is relieved with rest
  • Leg numbness or burning sensations
  • Cold feet or toes
  • Dry and discolored skin in the lower leg and foot
  • Resting leg pain
  • Non-healing ulcer or chronic sore
  • Tissue loss or gangrene (black toes)

Risk factors for PAD

Before symptoms appear, there are lifestyle and health factors that can lead to PAD:

  • Age 50+
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes: Type 2 diabetes can make you four times more likely to develop PAD
  • Tobacco use
  • Kidney disease
  • Family history
  • Ethnicity: African Americans and Hispanics are at the highest risk for PAD 

Why it’s important to treat PAD?

Because PAD is a progressive disease, it demands action. Damage to the arteries that causes PAD can begin before symptoms are noticeable. And when symptoms become noticeable, they're easily overlooked. Those with PAD are also at high risk for heart disease, stroke, aortic aneurysms, diabetes and hypertension, and have a two- to three-fold higher risk of mortality from a cardiovascular incident.