Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is thought to affect at least 8.5 million adults in the United States alone, but the true figure is likely up to 50% higher due to undiagnosed cases. PAD can lurk for years undiscovered, until it causes a serious event like a stroke or heart attack. Here’s what you need to know about how to protect yourself from PAD.
At Lone Star Heart and Vascular Center in Tomball Texas, in the North Houston area, our team of cardiologists can screen you for peripheral artery disease and offer a definitive diagnosis. If you have PAD, we advise you on lifestyle changes you can make and perform interventional procedures, if necessary.
Your peripheral arteries carry blood away from your heart and toward the peripheral areas of your body, including your arms, legs, fingers, and toes. Peripheral artery disease narrows your arteries, making it more difficult for your heart to pump blood to your legs, arms, head, and digestive organs.
Peripheral artery disease is often caused by atherosclerosis, which occurs when a fatty plaque builds up in your arteries and hardens. Blood has a harder time traveling through your now stiff and narrow arteries, so your blood pressure starts to rise, and it puts your arteries (and veins) under additional stress.
Having PAD can increase your risk for:
If you’ve seen anyone go through these kinds of health issues, you’re certainly aware of how devastating they can be. All the more reason to get screened for PAD.
There are few early warning signs for PAD, so being aware of your own risk factors is important. Risk factors for atherosclerosis include:
One of the biggest risk factors of all is smoking. A whopping 80% of people with PAD are people who currently smoke or used to smoke. Tobacco use also increases the risk for PAD by 400% and can bring on PAD symptoms almost 10 years earlier than in non-smokers. If you’re a smoker, you need to stop now to give your arteries a better chance.
Unfortunately, PAD often doesn’t present with any symptoms. That’s why regular check-ups and PAD screenings are important, especially as you get older. If you think you’re at risk for PAD, make sure to get screened more frequently.
While there are no definitive early symptoms of PAD, there are early signs of poor vascular health that could mean you have PAD:
If you have any of these symptoms, you need to come into Lone Star Heart and Vascular Center for an evaluation.
There’s a range of tests we can do that can help us understand if you have PAD or not. These include:
If your test results show that you’re experiencing PAD, we can help. We discuss your options with you, from lifestyle changes, like quitting tobacco, changing your diet, and creating exercise routines, to surgery if necessary.
Think you might have PAD? Reach out to us at 281-255-2000, or request an appointment online today.
