Peripheral Vascular Disease

What’s peripheral vascular disease?

Peripheral vascular disease (PAD) is the hardening or narrowing of blood vessels outside of the heart and brain.  It most commonly affects arteries of the legs. Left untreated, PAD can lead to limb amputation, gangrene, heart attack, stroke, and death.

What causes PAD?

The most common cause of PAD is atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty deposits, known as plaque, in your arteries that restricts blood flow. While anyone can develop it, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, older age, and a sedentary lifestyle increase your risk.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms of PAD include cramping, pain or tiredness in the hip or leg muscles while walking or climbing that diminishes at rest and returns during activity. It can also cause slowly healing leg wounds and coldness in your legs. People commonly mistake PAD for other conditions, such as arthritis or neuropathy.

How’s it treated?

Treatment for PAD aims to manage symptoms and stop the progression of atherosclerosis, guarding against severe complications, including heart attack and stroke. In some cases, lifestyle measures such as quitting smoking and specialized exercise training called cardiac rehabilitation suffice.

In some cases, PAD patients need medical treatment. Dr. Bokhari may prescribe medication to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, prevent blood clots, and control pain.  If an arterial blockage is detected, you may need angioplasty, bypass surgery or injections of clot-dissolving drugs. Advanced Cardiovascular Care specializes minimally invasive treatment options for PAD.

How can I prevent PAD?

Lifestyle changes such as controlling diabetes and high blood pressure, quitting smoking, exercising regularly and eating a heart-healthy diet can help prevent PAD.  A heart-healthy diet emphasizes whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources, and healthy fats. It also keeps salt, added sugars, and saturated and trans fats to a minimum.