Conditions InDepth: Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Arteries carry blood to all the organs of your body. Therefore, any condition that damages arteries can damage the organs to which they supply blood, such as the heart or brain.

When the affected arteries are the ones that carry blood to the legs and arms, the resulting condition is called peripheral artery disease (PAD).

PAD is similar to coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease. In PAD, fatty deposits ( atherosclerosis) build up along artery walls and affect blood circulation, mainly in arteries leading to the legs and feet. In its early stages, a common symptom is cramping or fatigue in the legs and buttocks during activity. Such cramping subsides with standing still. This is called "intermittent claudication." People with PAD have a higher risk of death from stroke and heart attack due to generalized atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries) and, to a lesser degree, an increase risk of blood clots.

Atherosclerosis

Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Atherosclerosis begins in the teen years as deposits of fat and cholesterol in the walls of large arteries. Over decades these deposits (plaques) enlarge, break down, and calcify, narrowing or completely clogging the artery. The deposits can also produce fragments that break off, travel down the artery, and cause an obstruction to blood flow. If the artery is a coronary artery supplying the heart, a heart attack may result. If the artery supplies the brain, a stroke can occur. If the artery supplies the legs and feet, this may result in claudication or other signs of lack of blood supply to the extremities.

People at the greatest risk of needing surgery to reopen clogged arteries include those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or hyperlipidemia; smokers; and people who do not get enough exercise.