5 Tips to Help Prevent Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a progressive disorder of narrowed peripheral blood vessels caused by atherosclerosis — or the accumulation of sticky plaque deposits in the arteries that carry blood to your extremities (arms and legs). 

The more it advances, the more havoc it can wreak on your health. Untreated PAD increases the risk of serious complications like needing a limb amputation, having a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or dying of a heart attack or stroke.  

But it’s not all bad news: PAD is controllable with early care — and it’s also preventable.  

Read on as our board-certified vascular specialists at Advanced Vascular Surgery discuss the ins and outs of PAD, including five ways to reduce your risk of developing it. 

Understanding PAD

PAD affects the supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients flowing to your extremities. This chronic condition develops gradually and, without treatment, can progress into a near-complete arterial blockage that requires bypass surgery or critical limb ischemia that may lead to amputation. 

PAD statistics

PAD is very common in the United States, affecting up to 12 million Americans at any given time. Experts also believe that the condition is underdiagnosed, however, meaning millions more adults may be vulnerable to its unchecked progression. 

Warning signs of PAD

PAD usually affects the legs. The most common symptom is intermittent claudication, or painful leg muscle cramping prompted by activity and alleviated with rest. Cramping pain indicates that your muscles don’t have enough blood flow to meet the increased oxygen and nutrient demands of movement. 

Other early lower extremity PAD symptoms include: 

• A “pins-and-needles” feeling in your legs or feet
• Burning pain in your feet at night when resting 
• Cooler skin temperature on your lower extremities
• Leg numbness or weakness; trouble balancing

As lower extremity PAD advances, it may cause persistent leg pain, skin changes, and non-healing sores (ulcers) on your legs, ankles, or feet. 

Reduce your PAD risk

PAD typically advances over a lifetime, and symptoms typically don’t appear until arteries are significantly narrowed — often by 60% or more. Only one in four people (25%) with PAD have tell-tale symptoms, and one in two people (50%) don’t have any symptoms at all. 

Anyone can develop PAD, but your risk is higher if you’re 65 or older or if you have a family history of heart disease. But these uncontrollable influences aren’t the only factors that can increase your PAD risk. 

Know your risk 

As with other cardiovascular conditions, the strongest risk factors for PAD are avoidable, modifiable, or manageable. These include:

• Tobacco use (top PAD risk factor)
• Lack of regular physical activity
• High blood cholesterol levels
• A diet that’s rich in saturated fat
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure 
• Insulin resistance and diabetes 

The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing PAD. Luckily, knowing your PAD risk level is the first step in taking control of your cardiovascular health. 

Protect your health

Whether you have PAD or you want to avoid it, healthy lifestyle changes are key to disease control and prevention. We advise you to:

1. Quit smoking or vaping

Tobacco use is the top risk factor for PAD and its complications: Smokers are 400% more likely to develop PAD, and four in five people (80%) with PAD are current or former smokers. If you smoke, committing to a smoking cessation plan is the best thing you can do for your health. 

2. Follow a heart-healthy diet 

You can also prevent or control PAD by following a heart-healthy diet, such as the DASH eating plan, which includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats — and strictly limits sodium, added sugars, saturated fats, and alcohol.

3. Get more physically active

Daily exercise helps control, reverse, or prevent PAD by increasing circulation, reducing inflammation, and improving other PAD risk factors — including excess body weight, high blood pressure, diabetes, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. 

4. Lose excess body weight

If you’re overweight, losing even just 5% of your weight can help protect against PAD. Luckily, other PAD prevention strategies, including healthy eating and daily exercise, can go a long way in supporting a healthier weight. 

5. Manage chronic conditions 

Because hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes are PAD risk factors, it’s vital to manage these chronic illnesses properly — and, if possible, reverse them. Lifestyle changes are often just as helpful as medication.

Concerned about PAD?

Mitigating your risk factors for PAD and seeing your primary care doctor for regular wellness exams can help you prevent this often “silent” disease — or stay one step ahead of it so you can safeguard your health.   

Worried about PAD? We can help. Call or click online to schedule an appointment at your nearest Advanced Vascular Surgery office in Kalamazoo, Allegan, Battle Creek, Coldwater, Sturgis, or Three Rivers, Michigan, today.