Peripheral heart disease

Heart Problems - Peripheral Aterial Disease

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) means disease of the arteries that supply blood to the legs. The disease may be in the abdominal arteries, the iliac arteries (near your pelvis) or in the arteries in the legs themselves.

The disease is caused by a gradual build-up of cholesterol deposits (called plaques) within the artery walls by the process known as atherosclerosis. In time, the artery becomes so narrow that it cannot deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to the legs.

Atherosclerosis is the same process that occurs in the arteries supplying the heart and the brain. Breakdown of plaques can also cause a blood clot (or thrombus) to form, blocking off the artery completely. If this occurs in a narrowed leg artery, it is possible to develop gangrene in your leg, a very serious situation.

15% of men die within 5 years of diagnosis of PAD.
Half die of a heart attack.
A quarter die of stroke or abdominal arterial disease.

People with PAD are also likely to have narrowed arteries in other parts of the body.

Aortic aneurysm

About 1 in 10 people with PAD develop a swelling or bulge of the aorta (the main artery of the body) and this is called an aortic aneurysm. Usually an aneurysm occurs at a point in the artery wall weakened by atherosclerosis. Most aneurysms occur in the abdominal (stomach) portion of the aorta. Sometimes enlarging aortic aneurysms are painful or a pulsating feeling can be felt in the stomach. Often though, they have no symptoms until they burst when they cause excruciating pain, massive internal bleeding, collapse and often, death.

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