Many people associate vascular disease with the heart and brain, and the danger of having blocked arteries near those vital organs. But the most common circulatory problems are farther away—in the hands, arms, legs and feet. This condition is called Peripheral Artery Disease (or PAD), and the threat of PAD is compounded by the fact many people are unaware they're at risk for it.
"PAD is caused by atherosclerosis, or fatty deposit build-ups in the arteries that narrow or block blood flow to the extremities," saidJohn F. Eidt, MD, RVT, RPVI, FACS, vascular surgeon on the medical staff at江南体育足球直播贝勒Scott &白色医院,心脏和血管Dallas, and Vice Chair of Vascular Surgery. "The reduced blood flow can cause permanent damage that kills tissue or encourages infection that leads to the loss of limbs."