By New York Cardiac Diagnostic Center Wall Street

03/02/2022 Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. If you have peripheral artery disease, you have a disorder that causes a buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries, narrowing them and restricting the blood flow to your legs and abdomen. Eventually, a blood clot forms, and no further blood can flow through that area. Blood clots in other parts of your body that break loose can cause a heart attack or stroke.



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than eight million Americans have peripheral artery disease or PAD. As many as 12 to 20 percent of those over the age of 60 are affected by this disorder. So leg pain isn’t something to ignore. When you visit our cardiac diagnostic center in Manhattan, make sure to mention even the slightest discomfort in your legs. It’s not a normal part of aging.



The Varied Symptoms of Peripheral Artery Disease

One of the hallmark symptoms of PAD is muscle pain and cramping in your legs while walking that usually disappears when you rest. This is known as claudication. The intensity of the pain can vary from just slightly uncomfortable to so painful that it stops you in your tracks. The location of the pain depends on where the clot has formed. The most common location is in your calf, which is why it hurts when you walk.
Besides leg pain and muscle cramping, other signs of peripheral artery disease include:

• Numbness or weakness in your legs
• Coldness in your legs or feet
• Change in the color of your legs
• Sores that won’t heal on your feet, legs or toes
• Weak pulse or even no pulse in your legs or feet
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