Peripheral Arterial Disease(PAD) Therapies

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when fatty deposits form in arteries that are outside of your heart and can restrict the flow of blood. PAD often occurs in the legs, and in severe cases can lead to amputation. People who have PAD are at greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. PAD is most common in older people, as well as in smokers as smoking can increase the risk of PAD. Other risk factors include Diabetes, Obesity, High blood pressure, Family history of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), High cholesterol, Age, gender and race.
Most people with PAD don’t show any warning signs, and symptoms are often mistaken for signs of aging.
Symptoms include: leg pain when walking, numbness or weakness in the legs, aching pain in the feet or toes while at rest, ulcers or sores in the leg or foot that won't heal, a cold leg or foot and skin colour changes in the legs or feet.
If you have PAD, your doctor may ask you to exercise more and stop smoking if you are a smoker. Your doctor may also prescribe drugs to thin your blood and to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. All of these actions can help to slow the progression of PAD and also decrease your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. However, drugs and lifestyle changes alone don’t resolve all cases of PAD. For these patients, angioplasty, atherectomy, stent placement, or bypass surgery may be necessary.