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There are many cardiovascular issues that we look for as people age, and peripheral artery disease (PAD) certainly makes that list. If you consider that 1 in 20 Americans over the age of 50 has PAD, you see that our concern isn’t misplaced.
Aside from being common among older demographics, PAD can lead to serious quality-of-life issues and place you more at risk for heart disease and lower limb amputation.
As with most cardiovascular conditions, the earlier we identify and address an issue the better, and this preventive cardiology applies to PAD. For that reason, triple board-certified cardiologist Dr. Satjit Bhusri and the rest of our team at Upper East Side Cardiology thought it would be a good idea to review the signs of PAD.
PAD and your legs
The human body has thousands of miles of blood vessels, including arteries that deliver oxygenated blood from your heart to your body and veins that bring your blood back to your lungs for more oxygen.
As the name suggests, PAD affects arteries that deliver oxygen and blood down to your legs. With PAD, these blood vessels are narrowed due to plaque buildup, which can decrease the circulation in your legs.
Technically, PAD can affect the peripheral arteries that deliver blood to the arms, but the condition tends to target the legs more often.
In most cases, PAD is progressive, which means early intervention is paramount. This is especially true if you consider that, over time, PAD places you more at risk for serious heart disease, such as heart failure, because your heart is working harder to pump blood through narrowed arteries.
PAD — sometimes silent, sometimes not
Frustratingly, about 4 in 10 people with PAD don’t show any signs of the condition. This is why we recommend screening for PAD, especially if you have these risk factors:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Smoking
For the people who do develop symptoms that are caused by PAD, the following are the most common:
1. Leg pain
Far and away, the biggest complaint with PAD is what we call claudication, which is cramping in your legs due to the muscles not getting enough oxygen. This symptom occurs more when you’re moving and mostly subsides when you’re still.
2. Slow-healing ulcers
Another sign of PAD is slow-healing wounds or ulcers around your lower legs, ankles, or feet. This inability to heal occurs because of the lack of blood flow, and it can be serious and place you at risk for limb-threatening infections.
3. Decrease in temperature
If your lower leg or foot is abnormally cool, especially compared to the other side, you might be dealing with poor circulation due to PAD.
Aside from these signs, you might also have hair loss on your legs, and your calf muscles may feel weak as they start to atrophy.
Many of these signs of PAD develop when the disease is fairly advanced, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t steps that we can take to improve the blood flow to your legs.
So., if you’re at increased risk for PAD or you suspect you might be developing signs of this cardiovascular condition, it’s a good idea to contact our New York City office on the Upper East Side of Manhattan by clicking here, or you can call us at (212) 752-3464.