Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is a cardiovascular condition that affects as many as 8 million people living in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. PAD is a decrease in the amount of blood that flows to your arms and legs due to a narrowing of the arteries. The causes of PAD include blood clots and atherosclerosis, which occurs when plaque and other deposits build up in the arteries. PAD symptoms include cramping and leg pain and a slowed healing of cuts or sores on the foot. If you have peripheral artery disease, your legs may also feel cooler than the rest of your body as a result of your impaired circulation. PAD can be a serious health condition, but it is treatable through the use of medications and lifestyle adjustments.
Treatment Goals
The treatment goals for a person affected by PAD are twofold: relieve the pain that he feels as a result of his circulatory problems, and slow down the disease. People who have peripheral artery disease have a greater risk of developing heart disease and stroke than those who do not have PAD. Depending on the progression of the disease, you may be able to treat PAD "naturally," without medications. Those with more advanced blockages of the arteries will most likely need interventions such as medications and surgical procedures.
Diet Modification
High cholesterol and PAD tend to go hand in hand, according to the Mayo Clinic. For this reason, one of the treatments for peripheral artery disease is to follow a diet that is low in saturated fats. Diet plans of this kind are often referred to as "heart healthy," and they include low-fat or part-skim dairy products, lean meats such as pork and fish and foods rich in fiber. Exchanging white breads and rices for whole-grain versions may help lower your cholesterol and put you on the road to better cardiovascular health. If you are unsure about what foods you can safely eat when you have PAD, ask your doctor to refer you to a nutritionist.
Exercise
Regular exercise can improve the circulation of PAD patients and may be able to relieve patients' leg pain. The American Heart Association reports that people who have peripheral artery disease may experience fewer and less intense symptoms in as little as 1 to 2 months after beginning an exercise program. It is important to get moving several times a week to see results. Patients who experience high levels of leg pain (called claudication) may feel as though walking any distance is impossible, but they can slowly work up to a goal that they set together with a physician.
Drug Therapy
A variety of drugs are used as a treatment for peripheral artery disease. Statin drugs that lower cholesterol are among the most commonly prescribed. Other drugs may be used as needed to control underlying conditions that can affect PAD, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Your doctor may also prescribe aspirin or blood thinners to ensure that you do not develop blood clots in your already-compromised arteries. Leg pain caused by PAD may be alleviated by taking a medication called cilostazol, a drug that widens the arteries to let more blood through.
Surgical Procedures
Severe cases of peripheral artery disease that do not respond to medication may require surgery. Procedures used to correct PAD include angioplasty, bypass surgery and the dissolution of blood clots. Angioplasty and bypass surgery manually open up the blockages to remedy impaired blood flow. Thrombolytic therapy is the term used to describe the removal of blood clots that cannot be dissolved through medications. The leg pain caused by peripheral artery disease is normally relieved immediately after surgery.
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