Peripheral Artery Disease – PAD

• Brain
• Heart
• Kidneys
• Limbs
• Liver

• Cholesterol-lowering meds
• High Blood Pressure meds
• Meds to control your blood sugar
• Meds to prevent blood clots
• Angioplasty
• Bypass Surgery
• Thrombolytic Therapy

• Target specific areas of your body that are ill, infected, inflamed, or out of resonance.
• Help your body retune itself so all your body parts are vibrating at their correct frequency.
• Helps your body increase blood flow throughout your system
• Opens up the flow of energy over your entire body.
• Will help your body overcome P.A.D

Short Description of Peripheral Artery Disease 

Peripheral Artery Disease or PAD is a common issue in the circulatory system where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow going to and from the limbs.  It may also be a sign of the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. 

Symptoms of Peripheral Artery Disease 

Peripheral artery disease signs and symptoms include:

• Painful cramping in one or both of your hips, thighs, or calf muscles after certain activities, such as walking or climbing stairs
• Leg numbness or weakness
• Coldness in your lower leg or foot, especially when compared with the other side
• Sores on your toes, feet, or legs that won’t heal
• A change in the color of your legs
• Hair loss or slower hair growth on your feet and legs
• Slower growth of your toenails
• Shiny skin on your legs
• No pulse or a weak pulse in your legs or feet
• Erectile dysfunction in men
• Pain when using your arms, such as aching and cramping when knitting, writing or doing other manual tasks

About Peripheral Artery Disease 

Peripheral artery disease or PAD refers to the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs.  It is mainly due to the build-up of fatty plaque within the arteries and is called atherosclerosis. PAD may occur in any blood vessel but is more commonly seen in the legs rather than the arms.  Shaped similarly to hollow tubes, the arteries feature a smooth lining that stops blood from clotting and encourages constant blood flow.  When there is peripheral artery disease, the plaque that is made mostly of fat, cholesterol, and other substances that form gradually within the arterial walls slowly narrows the arteries.  This is called atherosclerosis.   A lot of plaque deposits are hard on the outside and then soft on the inside.  This hard surface may crack or tear, letting platelets collect in the area. The resulting blood clots that form around the plaque, make the arteries even narrower. 

When the arteries become narrowed or blocked with a blood clot, there is not enough blood to pass through that can adequately nourish vital organs and other tissues. This results in damage and eventually death to the tissues below the blockage.  This most often occurs in the toes and feet, The swiftness by which peripheral artery disease progresses varies from person to person and depends on a lot of factors including where in the body the plaques form and the overall health of the patient. 

Etiology of Peripheral Artery Disease 

The main cause of peripheral artery disease is atherosclerosis, an accumulation of fatty plaque in the blood vessel walls. As the plaque builds up, the blood vessels get narrower and narrower until an eventual blockage occurs. 

Risk Factors of PAD are many but the number one is smoking. As a matter of fact, 80% of people with PAD are actually people who currently or were smokers in the past. Regardless of whether you are male or female the risk is high if you have one or more of the ff:

• Using tobacco products (the most potent risk factor).
• Having diabetes.
• Being age 50 and older.
• Being African-American.
• Having a personal or family history of heart or blood vessel disease.
• Having high blood pressure (hypertension).
• Having high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).
• Having abdominal obesity.
• Having a blood clotting disorder.
• Having kidney disease (both a risk factor and a consequence of PAD).

While peripheral artery disease is a different condition compared to coronary artery disease, the two are related.  People that are affected by one are also likely to have the other as well.  According to the US National Institutes of Health, a person with peripheral artery disease has a six to seven times higher risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, or TIA (transient ischemic attack) than the general populace.  A patient with heart disease has a one in three chance of developing peripheral artery disease in the legs. It is not at all surprising that the two diseases also share common risk factors. The reason is that these risk factors also cause the same changes in the arteries of the arms and legs as they do in the coronary arteries. 

Just like coronary artery disease, many of the risk factors are beyond the patient’s control.  However, according to data from research tobacco use is the single most important changeable risk factor for the development of peripheral artery disease and its corresponding complications. Cigarette smoking also increases the risk of PAD by as much as 400% and brings on PAD symptoms almost 10 years earlier. When compared to nonsmokers of the same age, smokers with PAD are more than likely to suffer and die from a heart attack or stroke and have poorer results with heart bypass surgery procedures on the legs and have double the chance of having a limb amputated. 

Diagnosis of Peripheral Artery Disease 

A history and physical examination are done as well as a review of risk factors. Certain tests may be ordered by the physician to help diagnose PAD and also to determine its severity. 

Ankle/Brachial Index (ABI) – This measures the blood pressure on the lower legs compared to that of the arms. Blood pressure is taken on the arms and legs using a hand-held device called a Doppler in order to listen to the blood flow. This helps in the evaluation of blood flow to the legs and feet and is known to be decreased in a person that has PAD.  It is a highly accurate method to diagnose the disease.