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What is Peripheral Artery Disease?

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the result of plaque building and causing narrowing in arteries inside the body.

Most commonly, it is the narrowing or obstruction of an artery that affects the blood flow to your legs.

The heart pumps blood.

The arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. Imagine this like a network of roads.

Plaque in your arteries narrows the size of the artery and blocks the flow of blood to your legs. Imagine this like a traffic jam when a road is damaged or a lane is blocked..

Symptoms

During early stages, there are often no symptoms of PAD, however medical management is important to prevent or limit progression

Cramping pain and weakness during walking (called claudication), numbness and tingling, or constant pain in the legs.

If the blood flow is severely restricted, painful ulcers or wounds can develop on the leg or foot that will not heal.

PAD puts you at risk for losing your leg. In Ontario, the amputation rate for patients with a painful ulcer and untreated PAD is 40%.

You are at risk if you are:

Smoke

Over age 50

Have diabetes

Have high cholesterol and/or blood pressure

Have had coronary artery disease or strokes in the past

You can reduce your risk:

Quit smoking

Exercise

Eat right

Work with your doctor to keep tight control of your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar if diabetic.

For help quitting smoking, visit sunnybrook.ca/quitsmoking

For more information, talk to your doctor.

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