Peripheral Arterial Disease

Our Approach

The vascular specialists at Franciscan Health can diagnose the cause of peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. Once we have a diagnosis, we'll recommend a treatment that reduces your symptoms and side effects. Our goal is to get your legs feeling good again and reduce your risk for complications.

How do we diagnose peripheral artery disease?

Tests we use to diagnose peripheral arterial disease (or peripheral vascular disease) include:

• Ankle brachial index (ABI): An ABI compares the blood pressure in your ankle with the blood pressure in your arm. This non-invasive screening tool uses Doppler ultrasound and a blood pressure cuff.
• CT angiogram (CTA) or MR angiogram (MRA): We may perform one of these tests to see if PAD is treatable.

How do we treat PAD?

Goals for treatment include controlling symptoms and stopping the disease from progressing further. Treating peripheral artery disease is important to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and other problems. 

Treatment may include lifestyle changes, such as:

• Exercising regularly
• Eating a healthy diet
• Quitting smoking

Angiogram for PAD

For more severe cases of peripheral vascular disease, you may need an angiogram. During this diagnostic test, your doctor reaches the artery through a vein in your groin and injects a special dye to detect where the artery is narrow or blocked. Your doctor may also perform the following procedures:

• Atherectomy, to remove plaque from the artery
• Angioplasty, to open up the blocked vessel
• Stent placement, to keep the blood vessel opened

What is peripheral artery disease?

PAD is a slow and progressive disorder of the blood vessels. It causes the arteries in the legs to clog. It can be life threatening if not treated.

Peripheral arterial disease can decrease blood flow to the legs and feet. The decreased blood flow can cause muscle fatigue and pain when walking. Reduced blood flow in the legs can lead to amputation, disability and diminished quality of life. PAD also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

What causes peripheral arterial disease?

Peripheral vascular disease develops when cholesterol deposits (plaque) cause an artery to narrow. This plaque build-up (atherosclerosis) decreases blood flow to the legs. Blood clots may completely block the narrowed artery. That blockage starves the legs of oxygen, which can lead to tissue death.

Other causes of PAD may include:

• Injury to the arms or legs
• Irregular muscle or ligament anatomy
• Infection
• Coronary artery disease

Peripheral arterial disease risk factors

Men and postmenopausal women are more likely to have PAD. It's also more common in people over age 50.

Other risk factors include:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Hyperlipidemia
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure or high cholesterol
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity

Preventing peripheral artery disease

You can reduce your risk through lifestyle changes if you:

• Quit smoking
• Exercise regularly (including walking)
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat whole grains, colorful fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean proteins
• Control chronic health conditions (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol)

PAD symptoms

About half of all people with peripheral arterial disease don't have any symptoms. The most common symptom is painful leg cramping. This cramping usually occurs with exercise or movement and gets better with rest.

Other symptoms may include:

• Skin changes:
  • Decreased skin temperature
  • Thin, brittle, shiny skin on the legs and feet
  • Wounds that won't heal over pressure points, such as heels or ankles
  • Gangrene (dead tissue due to lack of blood flow)
• Changes to legs and feet:
  • Reddish-blue discoloration of the legs or feet
  • Hair loss on the legs
  • Paleness when elevating legs
  • Thickened, opaque toenails
  • Weak pulse in the legs and the feet
• Impotence
• Numbness, weakness or heaviness in muscles
• Restricted mobility