While the signs of peripheral artery disease, or PAD, may not be silent or even overly subtle, they are often ignored until the problem becomes far more serious.
A relatively common condition, PAD is the result of narrowed arteries which diminish blood flow to the lower extremities. It’s easy to brush off leg discomfort as a normal part of getting older or a tough workout, but your body often sends clear hints when blood flow needs attention.
What are common PAD symptoms?
“We advise patients to talk to their primary care or family physician if they notice any of the following new symptoms,” said Endeavor Health vascular surgeon Alexander Trenk, MD:
- Leg or lower leg muscle fatigue or exhaustion
- Calf cramping or fatigue
- Foot pain at night
- Pain or redness in the foot when the foot is dangling
- A foot wound that is slow to heal
- A loss of hair on the toes
- Slow growing toenails
“People may notice their ability to walk around the grocery store decreases and they say things like ‘I’m older, so I thought I just tired more easily,’” said Dr. Trenk. “But it’s important to talk with your doctor as you notice these changes.”
Who is most at risk for developing PAD?
High blood pressure, a long-standing history of diabetes, smoking or a history of smoking, other vascular diseases, and age all increase the risk for PAD.
The gold standard screening for PAD is an ankle-brachial index (ABI), an easy, noninvasive test that measures blood pressure in your ankles, compared to the blood pressure in your arm. The ABI allows your physician to determine if you have PAD as well is the severity of the condition, from mild or moderate to severe.
How is PAD treated?
The treatment for PAD depends on the severity of the condition and presence of more severe symptoms like wounds on the feet.
For mild cases, physical therapy and exercise designed to stimulate muscles to enable better circulation is often the first line of treatment, explained Dr. Trenk.
For patients with more severe conditions who may have trouble walking even a very short distance, an angiogram, which can be both diagnostic and interventional, is the likely next step, said Dr. Trenk. Angiograms use injected contrast material with imaging to determine where and how extreme blockages are.
While patients may fear invasive treatment, Dr. Trenk emphasizes that not all type of vascular disease need surgery. “But it is important to be evaluated and followed by a specialist once you have been diagnosed with PAD or other vascular conditions,” he added.
People who wait until the condition has worsened into an advanced stage have fewer treatment options and typically worse outcomes than those who pursue early evaluation.
Related Articles
