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  • Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)

     
     
     
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    A simple test, called the Ankle-Brachial Index, or ABI, can quickly and painlessly determine if you have P.A.D. The ABI takes 10 to 15 minutes and can be done by your internist with a specialized "Doppler" stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. It involves simply measuring the blood pressure in each of your ankles and in each of your arms. Your doctor then compares the two readings. A normal ABI reading is 1.0 (with a range of .9 to 1.3). If your blood pressure is lower in the ankle than the arm, a blockage is likely present in an artery somewhere between your heart and ankle - and, if so, you have P.A.D. Because it is a simple test, the ABI can be done yearly if needed to determine if blockages are getting worse.

  • Related Heart & Valve Disease

    P.A.D. Diagnosis

    Early diagnosis and treatment of P.A.D. can help prevent disabling pain in the legs and feet, as well as heart attack and stroke.

    P.A.D. Symptoms and Disease Progression

    During the early stages of P.A.D., before blockages in the vessels become significant, many people do not feel any symptoms.

    Women and Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.)

    Women are more likely than men to have a condition called intermittent claudication, in which blockages in the limbs cause muscle pain during activity but stops during rest.

  • Related Treatment & Prevention

    Endovascular Procedures: Angioplasty and Stenting

    If your leg arteries become clogged and narrowed so that blood flow cannot supply enough oxygen to your leg muscles, your physician may recommend an endovascular or surgical procedure. Both treatments aim to restore blood flow to the muscles. When blood flow is restored, leg pain – and the risk of losing a leg or foot due to severe narrowing of the vessels – may be reduced.

    Manage Your Diabetes

    The increasing rate of obesity is contributing to a higher rate of diabetes. And with the increase in diabetes, it is becoming the most common – and a serious – risk factor for renal artery disease. If you have diabetes, your risk of also developing P.A.D. is higher than it is for people who do not have diabetes. And if you have P.A.D. and diabetes, your risk for progressive claudication, foot sores and gangrene, as well as heart attack or stroke is much higher than people who have P.A.D. only. Your risk of dying at a younger age may also be higher.

    Stop Smoking - PAD

    Smoking is the number one risk factor associated with P.A.D. It speeds up the build-up of plaque inside your arteries, causes blood vessels to constrict, or tighten, and contributes to blood clots

    Walking: Excellent “Medicine” for P.A.D.

    Walking can be excellent “medicine” for reducing leg pain and cramps for many people with P.A.D. Studies have shown that a structured walking program can often work better than medicine or surgery in helping people with P.A.D. walk longer and further without having to stop due to pain.