Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease is a common problem of circulation caused by narrowing of the arteries due to plaque formation which reduces blood flow to your limbs. When you develop peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, your extremities, usually your legs, don’t receive enough blood flow to keep up with the demand and this can cause symptoms, usually leg pain when walking, known as claudication.

PAD is also likely to be a sign of a more widespread problem, the accumulation of fatty deposits in all of your arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Mayo Clinic vascular surgeon Dr. Randall DeMartino discusses peripheral arterial disease during this segment of Mayo Clinic Radio.