Are you at risk for peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) involves damage to or blockage in the blood vessels that carry blood away from your heart—the peripheral arteries. Your peripheral arteries carry blood to your arm and leg muscles and the organs in and below your stomach area. PAD may also affect the arteries leading to your head; this is called Carotid Artery Disease. What causes arterial blockage? PAD can result from a condition known as atherosclerosis, where a waxy substance forms inside of the arteries. This substance is called plaque. It is made of cholesterol, fats, calcium, and a blood-clotting material called fibrin. When enough plaque builds up on the inside of an artery, the artery becomes clogged, and blood flow is slowed or stopped. This slowed blood flow may cause "ischemia," which means that your body's cells are not getting enough oxygen. While clogged coronary arteries (the arteries that supply your heart with blood) may lead to a heart attack, and clogged carotid a