Understanding the Links Between PAD and Aorta Blockage to Leg

New guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) can guide the way we manage peripheral arterial disease and an aorta blockage to the legs because the conditions are linked. Worldwide, among adults over 40, both conditions affect close to 113 million individuals, and having one diagnosis increases your risk for the other. For that reason, after diagnosing one should lead to evaluation for the other, and and any treatment plan should be administered by a multidisciplinary care team.

Understanding aortic disease

The largest blood vessel in the body is the aorta. if you develop an aorta blockage to the leg, or anything affecting the vessel, is referred to as aortic disease. It could be the result of vessel wall weakness in or damage; heart valve dysfunction or narrowing; or aortic blockage. Factors such as smoking; high cholesterol and/or blood pressure; along with atherosclerosis increase the risk for aortic disease. And all of those factors can also be considered PAD causes.

What is PAD?

PAD is a condition that develops when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, usually the legs. The narrowing is usually the result of atherosclerosis, which is a build-up of plaque on the arterial walls. Symptoms include fatigue, leg pain and cramping that appears with physical activity and improves with rest. If it's left untreated, PAD can progress to critical limb ischemia, a severe form of the disease; you may also develop non-healing ulcers, which increases the risk for limb loss, along with your risk for heart attack or stroke.

New Guidelines on Caring for PAD and Aorta Blockage to Leg

Given the new findings linking PAD and aortic disease, the ESC now suggests that “screening is crucial, based on age, the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, family history and/or presence of syndromic features…diagnosis can be easily achieved with a non-interventional vascular test/imaging.” Then, if the screenings detect any form of disease? They recommend that “Exercise and lifestyle changes are crucial before considering interventional management,” to alleviate PAD symptoms or aorta blockage to the legs. Then, if you need to restore the legs' blood flow while preventing disease progression, you should explore medical intervention. So to discuss your screening options, along with minimally invasive PAD treatments, we invite you to request a consultation at our vascular health clinic in Georgia.