Are you experiencing muscle cramps or leg pain when walking? How about skin discoloration, numbness, tingling, or a feeling of coolness in your feet and/or legs? Maybe you are even dealing with sores or ulcers in your feet that do not seem to heal. These are among the common peripheral arterial disease Coconut Creek symptoms. While many people with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) do not have symptoms, it is a common condition resulting from cholesterol buildup (plaque) in your artery walls, known as atherosclerosis.

PAD mostly affects arteries in the legs but can sometimes affect the arms. While you might focus on the impact on your limbs, the condition causes more damage. For example, PAD increases your risk of transient ischemic attack, heart attack, and stroke. PAD diagnosis includes a physical exam and heart imaging. If you are diagnosed with PAD, the treatment will depend on the extent of the condition. It could entail lifestyle changes, medicine, and, if severe, surgery. Let us look at the common PAD risk factors to help you prevent, avoid further development, or manage the condition.

  1.     Age

PAD risk increases with age, typically higher at 65 or more years. You are also at higher risk at 50-64 years if you are at high risk of atherosclerosis. You are at higher risk even when below 50 years if you have Type 2 diabetes. You cannot control aging, but you can take relevant measures to lower atherosclerosis risk and keep PAD at bay.

  1.     Genetics

PAD or other independent risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dyslipidemia can be inherited. Genetics is also a non-controllable risk, but you can significantly lower PAD chances with early intervention and other measures.

  1.     Smoking

Smokers are at a high risk of developing PAD. This is because the smoke in cigarettes contains chemicals that lead to damage to cells lining the blood vessels. This causes inflammation, providing a great environment for atherosclerotic plaque formation.

  1.     Diabetes

Diabetes increases PAD risk since high blood sugar causes inflammation and blood vessel abnormalities, causing atherosclerosis. Moreover, individuals with diabetes, in many cases, have high blood cholesterol, further increasing PAD risk. The worst part is that PAD accelerates diabetes, increasing the risk of amputations, stroke, and heart attack. The good news is that blood glucose is controllable with physical activity, dietary measures, and medication.

  1.     High blood pressure

The increased force of blood pushing through the vessels causes artery wall damage. This results in rough spots, making it easier for cholesterol to accumulate and harden, increasing PAD risk. Routine screening and adopting a heart-healthy regimen can help keep blood pressure in check.

  1.     High cholesterol

The blood cholesterol risk depends on the high-density lipoproteins (HDLs or good fat) and low-density lipoprotein (LDLs or bad fat) content. HDL removes cholesterol from the blood. Conversely, LDL stays in the blood, and the cholesterol can clog the arteries, increasing PAD risk. Avoiding diets with high bad fat content is the easiest way to keep cholesterol in control.

  1.     Excessive weight

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. This consequently raises the chances of developing PAD. You are at higher risk if you have more weight around the waist.

Avoiding a sedentary life is recommended as you strive to keep PAD at bay. Physical activity helps lower most risks, including excess weight, high blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol. Visit South Florida Vascular Associates to learn more about PAD, risk factors, prevention, treatment, and management measures.