


Atherosclerosis
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A disease of narrowing and hardening of the arteries due to blood vessel plaque.
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This silent disease progressively worsens the patient’s health by blocking the arteries and making blood flow dangerously sluggish.
Peripheral Arterial Disease "PAD"
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Plaque may also progress within the blood vessel, eventually restricting the flow.
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The restricted flow is PAD, which presents a number of patient risks; including leg pain with ambulation or at rest, slow-healing wounds, and potential loss of a limb.
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After time, these blockages will become significant enough to cause pain in the patient’s legs after exercise, pain with moderate exertion, or pain when lying down (rest pain).
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Blockages may also result in stroke-like symptoms which may last minutes, hours, or may never resolve.
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PAD symptoms may also signify higher risk for coronary artery disease and an acute myocardial infarction (MI).
Life threatening conditions:
• Stroke
• Heart attack (MI)
Additional conditions include:
• Claudication (cramping leg pain when walking)
• Rest Pain (cramping feet at rest, relieved with standing or massage)
• Gangrene
• Impotence
