Peripheral Artery Disease (Blocked Leg Arteries)
Peripheral artery disease is narrowing of the leg arteries by plaque, causing calf pain on walking, cold feet and slow-healing wounds, and in severe cases putting the leg at risk.
The same plaque, in the legs
The plaque that blocks heart arteries can also build up in the arteries of the legs. When you walk, the leg muscles need more blood; a narrowed artery cannot supply it, so the calf or thigh starts to cramp. A few minutes of rest relieves it. This pattern is called claudication. As the blockage worsens, pain may come even at rest, often at night, and wounds on the foot may stop healing. This advanced stage, called critical limb ischaemia, can put the leg at risk.
People with PAD often have narrowed arteries elsewhere too, so it is also a warning sign for heart attack and stroke. If you have PAD, ask your doctor about checking your heart for coronary artery disease.
Who is more likely to get it
- Smoking, bidi or any tobacco use, the strongest risk factor
- Diabetes
- High BP and high cholesterol
- Age above 50, and kidney disease
Tests
Your doctor will check the pulses in your feet and may measure the ankle-brachial index (ABI), which compares BP at the ankle with BP at the arm. A Doppler ultrasound of the leg arteries shows where flow is reduced. CT angiography or a catheter angiogram maps the blockages before treatment. Sugar, cholesterol and kidney tests are also done.
Treatment
Stopping tobacco completely, a regular walking programme and medicines (a blood thinner, a statin, and good control of BP and sugar) form the base of treatment. Daily foot care matters, especially with diabetes: look at your feet every day, wear proper footwear and never ignore a small wound. When pain limits daily life or the leg is at risk, peripheral angioplasty with a balloon, and sometimes a stent, can open the artery. Some patients need bypass surgery instead.
Seek urgent care if
a leg suddenly becomes cold, pale, painful or numb, which can mean a sudden blockage, or a toe turns black or a foot wound gets infected. Sudden loss of blood flow to a leg is an emergency; see the emergency page.
Diagnosis and treatment are decided only after examination by your doctor. This page is for understanding the condition.
For understanding only — the right test or treatment is decided after examination.
