Peripheral Arterial Disease

Also called: PAD

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Summary

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) happens when there is a narrowing of the blood vessels outside of your heart. The cause of PAD is atherosclerosis. This happens when plaque builds up on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs. Plaque is a substance made up of fat and cholesterol. It causes the arteries to narrow or become blocked. This can reduce or stop blood flow, usually to the legs. If severe enough, blocked blood flow can cause tissue death and can sometimes lead to amputation of the foot or leg.

The main risk factor for PAD is smoking. Other risk factors include older age and diseases like diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Many people who have PAD don't have any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include:

Pain, numbness, achiness, or heaviness in the leg muscles. This happens when walking or climbing stairs.
Weak or absent pulses in the legs or feet
Sores or wounds on the toes, feet, or legs that heal slowly, poorly, or not at all
A pale or bluish color to the skin
A lower temperature in one leg than the other leg
Poor nail growth on the toes and decreased hair growth on the legs
Erectile dysfunction, especially among men who have diabetes

PAD can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and transient ischemic attack.

Doctors diagnose PAD with a physical exam and heart and imaging tests. Treatments include lifestyle changes, medicines, and sometimes surgery. Lifestyle changes include dietary changes, exercise, and efforts to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

About Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) (American Heart Association)
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
What Is Peripheral Artery Disease? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Ankle-Brachial Index (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
CT Angiography (CTA) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Doppler Ultrasound (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
MR Angiography (MRA) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Peripheral Angiography (American Heart Association)
Screening for Peripheral Artery Disease (American Heart Association)
Ultrasound -- Vascular (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Understand Your Risk for PAD (American Heart Association)

Treatments and Therapies

Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Angioplasty: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Buerger's Disease (Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center)
Claudication (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Peripheral Arterial Disease and Claudication (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Peripheral Artery Disease and Diabetes (American Heart Association)

Specifics

Occlusive Peripheral Arterial Disease (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
Overview of Functional Peripheral Arterial Disease (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish

Images

Arterial bypass leg - series -- Normal anatomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Intermittent Claudication (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Peripheral Arterial Disease (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Peripheral Vascular Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Glossary (Vascular Cures)

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Patient Handouts

Angioplasty and stent placement - peripheral arteries (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Angioplasty and stent placement - peripheral arteries - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Doppler ultrasound exam of an arm or leg (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Extremity angiography (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Ischemic ulcers - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Peripheral artery bypass - leg (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Peripheral artery disease - legs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Peripheral artery disease of the legs - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish