Peripheral Arterial Disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects millions of Americans. It is a circulatory problem that reduces blood flow to the body, most commonly affecting the legs and feet. While many people don’t experience symptoms, those with PAD can suffer severe complications like gangrene and amputation.

Screening and treatment at Vascular & Interventional Specialists under the skilled care of board-certified Vascular and Interventional Radiologists Benjamin Wilson, DO, and John Yoo, MD, gives you a leg up on PAD, helping prevent those dire consequences. Phone the Fort Worth, Texas, office today, or book your appointment online.

What is peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?

PAD, commonly referred to as “poor circulation,” is a disease in which plaque (atherosclerosis) — a mixture of cholesterol and other fats — builds up inside arteries, leading to reduced blood flow.

This plaque buildup can affect arteries all over the body, such as those that supply your legs, arms, heart, brain, and abdominal organs.

Because atherosclerosis so often affects multiple arteries, people with PAD have an eight times higher risk of cardiovascular death and double the risk of stroke.

What are the symptoms of peripheral arterial disease?

Interestingly, people with PAD often do not have symptoms, or if they do, they are mild or misinterpreted as signs of aging. Approximately 40% of people who have PAD do not identify obvious problems or symptoms. Those who do experience symptoms notice issues when walking, such as leg pain, aching, heaviness, and/or cramping. The symptoms characteristically ease with rest or decreased walking pace. This is known as claudication. 

Patients with advanced PAD can develop pain at rest. Very often, these people do not walk enough to have symptoms of claudication because of their severe disease. Instead, they experience burning pain in the soles of their feet and/or in their toes, often worse at night. Many dangle their lower leg over the edge of the bed in an attempt to relieve their pain. 

Additional PAD signs and symptoms include:

• Shiny skin on the legs
• Loss of leg hair
• Cooler legs and feet
• Slow-healing wounds on the foot or leg
• Leg or foot numbness
• Leg or foot weakness
• Slower toenail growth

Most people who have PAD (even if they don’t know it yet) aren’t able to walk as far or as long as they once did.

What leads to the development of peripheral arterial disease?

• Family history of heart disease, stroke or PAD
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Increasing age (> 50 years old)

 How is peripheral arterial disease treated?

Since PAD carries with it an increased risk of stroke and heart attack, the main goals of treatment are to minimize cardiovascular risk (i.e., risk of stroke and heart attack) and to maximize walking/exercise ability. These goals are most effectively reached through lifestyle modification and medical management. 

• Quitting smoking
• Management of blood sugar in Diabetic patients
• Reducing dietary cholesterol and fats
• Supervised exercise program
• Medication to reduce cholesterol
• Medication to lower blood pressure
• Medication to prevent blood clots

 However, for some, lifestyle changes and medication might not be enough. For others, the diagnosis comes too late. If arteries are clogged, or nearly so, lifestyle changes and medications may not be enough. Doctors at Vascular & Interventional Specialists may recommend a procedure like angioplasty to open up the artery. 

In angioplasty, your doctor uses a slender tube to guide a deflated balloon into the artery. They inflate the balloon, opening up the narrowed area so that blood flows more easily.

In some cases, angioplasty may be performed with other procedures such as atherectomy (plaque removal) or stent placement. A stent is a small metal mesh tube that is placed inside the newly-opened artery to keep it open.

Angioplasty and stent placement can certainly improve your blood flow and increase your walking/exercise ability. But they don’t cure PAD. You still need to follow a healthy lifestyle to avoid complications and minimize disease progression.

Vascular & Interventional Specialists is here to guide you. Call the office now or schedule your appointment online.