Understand Your Risk for Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, happens when fatty deposits, called plaque, build up in arteries outside the heart. This usually happens to the arteries supplying oxygen-rich blood to the trunk, arms, legs and feet.

Who’s at risk for PAD?

People who smoke and/or have diabetes are at especially high risk for PAD. If you have risk factors for PAD, get screened even if you’re not having symptoms.

Which PAD risk factors can’t you change?

Some risk factors for PAD can’t be changed, including:

• Increasing age
  • Age 65 and older
  • Age 50 to 64 with risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as diabetes, a history of smoking or a family history of PAD after atherosclerosis
  • Age 50 and younger with diabetes and at least one other risk factor for atherosclerosis
• Personal or family history of PAD, cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Which PAD risk factors can you change?

You can manage or control the following risk factors. It’s best to try to manage as many as you can.

• Cigarette smoking – mokers may have up to four times the risk of PAD compared to nonsmokers. Our guide to quitting smoking can help.
• Diabetes – Having diabetes puts you at greater risk of developing PAD as well as other cardiovascular diseases. Learn more about the risks and how to manage diabetes.
• High blood pressure – It's called "the silent killer" because it has no symptoms. Work with your health care team to monitor and control your blood pressure.
• High blood cholesterol – High cholesterol contributes to the build-up of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can greatly reduce the flow of blood.  Managing your cholesterol levels is essential for preventing or treating PAD.
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) – Up to 25% of people with CKD have PAD.

How dangerous is PAD?

PAD can be dangerous because the blockages can limit blood flow from reaching your limbs and organs. Without enough blood flow, your important organs, arms, legs and feet can suffer damage. If untreated, the tissue can become infected or die, a condition called gangrene. Limb amputation is a serious complication of PAD. If you have PAD, you also have an increased risk of:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Heart attack
• Stroke

How are PAD and CAD connected?

If you have PAD, you are at increased risk of CAD, sometimes also called coronary heart disease. If you have CAD, you are also at an increased risk for PAD.

Controlling the risk factors listed above helps lower the risk for both PAD and CAD.

Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of CAD and PAD. Atherosclerosis happens when cholesterol and fatty deposits build up in the artery walls.

The resulting narrowing of the arteries can be serious. Plaque buildup in the heart arteries can rupture, causing a heart attack. Atherosclerosis throughout the body increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

View our interactive library to learn more about PAD.