Greg Martin, MD: What is Peripheral Arterial Disease?

Greg Martin, MD, discusses minimally invasive peripheral artery disease treatments. We’re here to help you find answers.

What is peripheral arterial disease?

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) damages your arteries, which are blood vessels that deliver blood from the heart throughout the body. Peripheral arterial disease, which occurs in various forms, is present when the arteries to your arms or legs narrow or become clogged. This most often results from hardening of your arteries or atherosclerosis. In the lower extremities, ischemia can cause claudication (a term used to refer to impairment in walking, or pain, discomfort, numbness, or tiredness in the legs that occurs during walking or standing and is relieved by rest) in peripheral artery disease (PAD) or may cause critical limb ischemia (CLI) in severe cases.(1)

1. https://www.sirweb.org/patient-center/conditions-and-treatments/peripheral-arterial-disease/