Causes of peripheral arterial disease
Posted on 11/14/2011
Peripheral arterial disease is usually caused by a build-up of fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries inside the legs. The fatty deposits, called atheroma, are made up of cholesterol and other waste substances.
The build-up of atheroma on the walls of the arteries makes the arteries narrower and restricts the flow of blood to the legs. This process is called atherosclerosis.
Like all tissue in your body, the muscles in your legs need a constant supply of blood to function properly. When you are making use of your leg muscles, the demand for blood increases ten-fold. But if the arteries in your legs are blocked, the supply of available blood cannot meet the demand.
This shortfall between supply and demand causes your muscles to experience painful cramps, which only get better after you rest your legs.
Risk factors for Peripheral arterial disease
Over time as you get older, your arteries naturally begin to harden and get narrower, which can lead to atherosclerosis and then Peripheral arterial disease.
However, there are many factors that can dangerously speed up this process. These are described below.
Smoking
The single most important risk factor for Peripheral arterial disease is smoking. Smoking can damage the walls of your arteries. It is estimated that smokers are six times more likely to develop Peripheral arterial disease than non-smokers.
Diabetes
If you have poorly controlled type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the excess glucose in your blood can damage your arteries.
People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop Peripheral arterial disease
Having a combination of poorly controlled diabetes and Peripheral arterial disease is a major risk factor for amputation.
High-fat diets and cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for the body to function
Cholesterol cannot travel around the body on its own because it does not dissolve in water. Instead, it is carried in your blood by molecules called lipoproteins.
The two main lipoproteins are LDL and HDL:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main cholesterol transporter and carries cholesterol from your liver to the cells that need it. If there is too much cholesterol for the cells to use, this can cause a harmful build-up in your blood and lead to atherosclerosis. For this reason, LDL cholesterol is known as "bad cholesterol", and lower levels are better.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, where it is either broken down or passed from the body as a waste product. For this reason, it is referred to as "good cholesterol", and higher levels are better.
Most of the cholesterol that your body needs is made by your liver. However, if you eat foods that are high in saturated fat, the fat is broken down into LDL ("bad cholesterol").
Foods that are high in saturated fat include:
· biscuits
· cakes
· bacon
· sausages
· processed meat
· butter
· cream
High blood pressure
Your arteries are designed to pump blood at a certain pressure, and if blood pressure is too high, the walls of the arteries can become damaged. High blood pressure can be caused by:
· being overweight
· drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
· stress
· smoking
· a lack of exercise
