

Diabetes – this is the most significant risk factor.Risk factors for peripheral vascular disease include: Risk factors of peripheral vascular disease Blood vessel spasms – conditions such as Raynaud’s disease may cause narrowing of blood vessels in response to certain factors, including cold temperatures or stress.Blood vessel defects – blood vessels may be unusually narrow at birth.Some autoimmune diseases can cause arteritis. Syphilis or salmonellosis, for example, can lead to peripheral vascular disease. Infection – can cause scarring and narrowing of the blood vessels.Obstruction – a blood clot (thrombus) may lodge within the blood vessel.Diabetes – high blood sugar damages and weakens blood vessels, causing them to narrow.Commonly this occurs in the body where a blood vessel kinks or subdivides.Īpart from fatty deposits, other causes of peripheral vascular disease include: In most cases the cause is atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty deposits within the blood vessel that reduces blood flow to the area. The only treatment is surgical amputation of the affected body part. Gangrene is the death and decay of tissue. A narrowed or blocked blood vessel deprives tissues of blood.
Circulation issues skin#
Blackened areas of skin or skin loss (gangrene).īody tissues rely on a steady supply of blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients.Wounds that won’t heal (vascular ulcers).Easing of pain during rest (usually in the legs).Worsening pain during exercise (usually in the legs).Intermittent pain (claudication), which may feel like cramps, muscle fatigue or heaviness (usually in the legs).Symptoms depend on which body part is deprived of sufficient blood, but may include: In some cases, a person with peripheral vascular disease does not have any symptoms until the condition is advanced and severe. Atherosclerosis in arteries of the brain is called cerebrovascular disease.Ī person with peripheral vascular disease is up to six times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. When atherosclerosis occurs in arteries of the heart, it is called coronary artery disease. Peripheral vascular disease is also known as peripheral artery disease, peripheral artery occlusive disease or peripheral atherosclerosis. Peripheral vascular disease mainly affects blood vessels of the legs and kidneys and, less commonly, the arms. The narrowed blood vessel reduces the circulation of blood to the associated body part. The main cause is atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of fatty deposits that narrow a blood vessel, usually an artery. It is caused by a narrowed or blocked blood vessel. Peripheral vascular disease is the reduced circulation of blood to a body part other than the brain or heart.
