PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE

What is peripheral arterial disease?

It is the result of poor blood circulation and oxygen delivery to the legs and feet.

What causes peripheral arterial disease?

Hardening and narrowing of the arteries in the legs leads to poor blood flow. This narrowing is the same process of hardening that happens in the heart and causes heart attacks.

Imagine narrowed traffic on the road – the more lanes that closed, the worse the traffic jam. Similarly to narrowing traffic, when blood vessels are narrowed there is poor circulation to the lower leg and feet.

What causes hardening of the arteries?

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• HIgh Cholesterol
• High Blood Pressure
• Obesity
• Aging
• A family history of hard arteries

What are the symptoms of peripheral artery disease?

The symptoms of peripheral artery disease are caused by reduced blood flow to the leg muscles as a result of hardened arteries.

These include:

• Dull cramping pain in the calf and sometimes the foot or buttocks
• Pain that is worsened with activity (such as walking) and improves with rest
• Non-healing leg wounds
• cool toes and feet

How is it diagnosed?

Tests for peripheral artery disease measure how blocked the arteries in your legs are. Some of these tests are:

1. Ankle-Brachial Index: this test compares the blood flow in your legs to the blood flow in your arms to see if there is a difference.
2. Doppler Ultrasound: uses sound wave images to view the amount of blood flow in the legs and show areas of blockage or narrowing in your arteries
3. CT Scan: uses X-rays and often contrast dye to show the amount of blood flow in your legs

*MRI and Angiograms can also be performed but these are often ordered by Vascular Surgeons.

How do we treat it?

The most important way to treat peripheral arterial disease is prevent it from getting worse. This usually involves:

• Quitting smoking if you are a current smoker
• Working with your doctor to lose weight if you are overweight
• Reducing your cholesterol if it is high
• Treating blood pressure if it is high
• Controlling blood sugars if you are diabetic
• Staying active

Medications can also be used to treat peripheral arterial disease. These include:

• Aspirin or other anti-platelet medications that prevents platelets from sticking together.
• Cholesterol lowering medications

Lastly, surgery is sometimes needed for peripheral arterial disease.