The main symptom of peripheral arterial disease is lower-leg pain, aching, or cramping that develops during physical activity (e.g., walking) and subsides after stopping. This symptom is called intermittent claudication. One other symptom which suggests more severe disease is lower leg and foot pain when lying down, which improves when the leg hangs down. This symptom is called rest pain. People with peripheral arterial disease may also have cold or numb toes and notice persistent sores or ulcers on their legs.[1][2]
The signs of peripheral arterial disease include clinical tests showing a weak or absent pulse in the feet, muscle atrophy and weakness in the lower leg, poor muscle oxygenation during exercise, and leg pain during a treadmill walking test.[1][2]
References
- ^Gerhard-Herman MD, Gornik HL, Barrett C, Barshes NR, Corriere MA, Drachman DE, Fleisher LA, Fowkes FG, Hamburg NM, Kinlay S, Lookstein R, Misra S, Mureebe L, Olin JW, Patel RA, Regensteiner JG, Schanzer A, Shishehbor MH, Stewart KJ, Treat-Jacobson D, Walsh ME2016 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Patients With Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation.(2017-Mar-21)
- ^Tsao CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, Alonso A, Beaton AZ, Bittencourt MS, Boehme AK, Buxton AE, Carson AP, Commodore-Mensah Y, Elkind MSV, Evenson KR, Eze-Nliam C, Ferguson JF, Generoso G, Ho JE, Kalani R, Khan SS, Kissela BM, Knutson KL, Levine DA, Lewis TT, Liu J, Loop MS, Ma J, Mussolino ME, Navaneethan SD, Perak AM, Poudel R, Rezk-Hanna M, Roth GA, Schroeder EB, Shah SH, Thacker EL, VanWagner LB, Virani SS, Voecks JH, Wang NY, Yaffe K, Martin SSHeart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2022 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.Circulation.(2022-Feb-22)