Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Diagnosis

To diagnose peripheral artery disease (PAD), a healthcare professional examines you and reviews your medical history and symptoms. A weak or absent pulse in the affected area may suggest PAD.

Tests used to confirm PAD or evaluate contributing conditions may include:

• Blood tests to check for risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood sugar.
• Ankle-brachial index (ABI) to compare blood pressure in the ankle with blood pressure in the arm. You may be asked to walk on a treadmill, with readings taken before and after exercise to assess arterial function.
• Ultrasound of the legs or feet, including Doppler ultrasound, to visualize blood flow and detect narrowed or blocked arteries.
• Angiography, which uses imaging tests and a contrast dye injected into a blood vessel to show blockages in the arteries.

Treatment

Treatment for peripheral artery disease aims to manage symptoms like leg pain and improve artery health to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other complications. Options may include lifestyle changes, medications, or procedures.

Lifestyle changes for early PAD include:

• Avoiding smoking and tobacco use.
• Engaging in regular exercise.
• Eating a healthy diet.

Medications for PAD may include:

• Statins to lower “bad” cholesterol and reduce plaque buildup in the arteries, lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Blood pressure medicines to control high blood pressure and prevent arterial stiffness.
• Diabetes medicines to manage blood sugar and reduce PAD risk.
• Medicines to prevent blood clots, such as aspirin or clopidogrel.
• Leg pain medicine, such as cilostazol, which increases blood flow to the affected area.

Surgeries or other procedures for PAD may include:

• Thrombolytic therapy, where medicine is delivered directly into a blocked artery to dissolve a clot.
• Angioplasty and stent placement, where a balloon is inflated in a narrowed artery to widen it, and a stent may be placed to keep the artery open.
• Bypass surgery, which creates a new pathway for blood around a blocked artery using a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body, improving blood flow to the affected muscle.