Peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease is reduced blood flow through arteries outside the heart and brain, most often in the legs. It usually results from atherosclerotic plaque narrowing or blocking those arteries.

Atherosclerosis: A disease in which lipid-rich plaques build up in artery walls, narrowing or blocking blood flow. Atherosclerosis is the usual cause of arterial narrowing in PAD.
Vascular ultrasonography: Imaging that uses sound waves to assess blood flow and vessel structure. Duplex ultrasound can locate and characterize arterial narrowing in PAD.
Coronary artery disease: Atherosclerotic narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. PAD often coexists with coronary disease and raises concern about heart attack risk.
Peripheral venous disease: Disorders of veins outside the heart that impair blood return, especially from the legs. Venous disease affects return flow, unlike PAD’s restriction of arterial inflow.
Intermittent claudication: Exercise-induced muscle pain from inadequate blood flow that improves with rest. It is the characteristic exertional symptom of leg PAD.
Computed tomography angiography: X-ray imaging that depicts blood vessels after injection of contrast material. It maps arterial lesions when detailed anatomy is needed for treatment planning.
Ischemic stroke: Brain injury caused by an interruption of blood supply to part of the brain. PAD marks elevated risk of atherosclerotic disease affecting cerebral arteries.
Neurogenic claudication: Leg pain or weakness from nerve compression, often due to lumbar spinal stenosis. It can resemble vascular claudication but arises from spinal nerve compression.
Chronic limb-threatening ischemia: Advanced limb ischemia marked by persistent rest pain, nonhealing wounds, or gangrene. It describes severe PAD with threatened limb viability.
Supervised exercise therapy: A structured, monitored exercise program prescribed to improve functional capacity and health. Regular walking training improves symptoms and walking ability in PAD.

Linked from 21 pages