Medically Reviewed by Gabor A. Winkler, MD

There are two important types of blood vessels in the body. Arteries take the oxygenated blood to the periphery from the heart. The other type is veins, which bring the blood back to the heart.

When we specifically talk about poor arterial circulation — also known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or atherosclerosis — we talk about blockages in the arteries that prevent blood from flowing to the legs.

• A common first sign of PAD is a pain in the calf or the back of the thigh when walking a distance. Over time, that distance walked before pain arises will get shorter and shorter.  The pain can only be relieved by standing still a minute or so to allow the need for oxygen to catch up with the decreased supply.
• Over time, the condition becomes so severe that the patient feels pain even at rest.
• The next step: a person will have  wounds that do not heal properly or in a sufficient amount of time.  Some wounds may appear spontaneously,  occurring out of nowhere.
• In the last stage, gangrene appears, the tissue shows with black discoloration, usually at the very tips of the lower extremities. Failure to deal with PAD at this point can lead to amputation.

RISK FACTORS
To avoid these problems,  start controlling the risk factors for poor circulation, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking.

High cholesterol is the main risk factor that can be inherited. There are a lot of people who, despite watching their diet, have issues with high cholesterol.

At times, diabetes can also be inherited, but it is still extremely diet dependent. Healthy eating can prevent diabetes or even reverse a person’s diabetes, as long as an appropriate diet is maintained.

For most patients, smoking is very difficult to quit. Yet, if any of the PAD symptoms appear, you should take action, leading to cessation of smoking.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE
If you experience any symptoms of PAD, start by controlling the risk factors mentioned above and see a Vascular Specialist for testing and diagnosis.

Find a Vascular Specialist near you.