Peripheral Artery Disease

What is peripheral artery disease?

The human body depends on healthy blood flow to keep all its parts working. Blood carries oxygen and other essential resources between different parts of the body. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition that causes reduced blood flow to the limbs. This condition most often affects arteries in the legs, but it can also occur in the arms.

Peripheral artery disease is often caused by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty plaque deposits in the arteries. This condition can cause arteries in your body to become too narrow, restricting blood flow.

What are peripheral artery disease symptoms?

Symptoms of peripheral artery disease are often minimal until the condition has significantly progressed. Many cases don’t present noticeable symptoms until the affected artery has narrowed by 50% or more.

One of the most common signs of peripheral artery disease is claudication, a combination of pains, aches, and cramps in the afflicted limbs. Other symptoms include:

• Coldness in the hands or feet of the affected limb
• Pain with walking (cramping in the calf muscles)
• Atrophy of the muscles in the affected limb as the condition progresses
• Tingling or numbness in areas deprived of sufficient blood flow
• Open sores on the feet or calf

Peripheral artery disease complications

This condition can worsen over time, especially in cases where the cause of peripheral artery disease is atherosclerosis. Plaque buildup within the arteries can ultimately lead to stroke or heart failure.

Critical limb ischemia is another potential risk. If a limb affected by peripheral artery disease develops an infection, it can lead to serious complications and may require amputation in severe cases.

Request an appointment with the Mass General Brigham heart specialist team to learn more about peripheral artery disease treatment options.

What causes peripheral artery disease?

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of peripheral artery disease. But it can also be caused by:

• Inflamed arteries: Inflammation of the arteries can restrict blood flow and lead to peripheral artery disease. However, it is less common and may heal more quickly in some cases.
• Trauma: Injuries to the limbs or their arteries may cause this condition in some cases.

What are peripheral artery disease risk factors?

Because atherosclerosis can cause peripheral artery disease, PAD risk factors overlap with atherosclerosis.

• Family history of artery disease, heart disease, or stroke
• Over 60 years old
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Smoking or using nicotine products
• Unhealthy or excessive body weight

How is peripheral artery disease diagnosed?

If you’ve been experiencing symptoms of peripheral artery disease, your physician will want to examine and check the pulse in your limbs and run diagnostic tests. An ankle-brachial index is one of the more common peripheral artery disease tests. This test involves taking and comparing the blood pressure between the extremities of your limbs.

Your physician may also order an imaging test. Specialized angiography imaging tests can scan and display the vascular system.

What are peripheral artery disease treatments?

Treatment for peripheral artery disease can vary significantly between cases. Standard treatment approaches include lifestyle changes, medications, and, in some cases, surgery.

Nonsurgical treatments for peripheral artery disease

Lifestyle changes include reducing high cholesterol and encouraging healthy body weight and activity. Lowering cholesterol can reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Medications to control cholesterol, blood pressure, blood clotting, and pain can be used to treat PAD.

Surgical treatments for peripheral artery disease

Surgery is a less common treatment for PAD, but it is sometimes needed. If your symptoms worsen despite nonsurgical treatments, your physician may recommend bypass surgery. This procedure is done to bypass a fully or mostly blocked artery in your affected limb. Recovery from bypass surgery often takes close to three months.

How to prevent peripheral artery disease

Because the leading cause of PAD is atherosclerosis, reducing the risk of this disease will also reduce the chances of getting peripheral artery disease. With that in mind, consider the following tips for reducing your risks:

• Avoid smoking and nicotine products
• Get regular activity or exercise
• Manage high blood pressure
• Minimize cholesterol

How to live with peripheral artery disease

People with a peripheral artery disease diagnosis can follow the same advice for preventing peripheral artery disease. Even after developing PAD, managing risk factors may reduce symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.

Discuss making lifestyle changes with your physician to ensure they work with your treatment plan. Beyond that, it’s important to be careful of getting injuries in your affected limbs. Reduced blood flow can slow healing and lower the body’s immune response in that area.

Peripheral artery disease FAQs