What Are the Causes & Risk Factors of Peripheral Arterial Disease?

Peripheral arterial disease, or peripheral artery disease, causes circulation problems due to narrowed arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart and brain along with the limbs. Peripheral arterial disease is often referred to as PAD.

Risk Factors

• The most common risk factors for peripheral arterial disease include smoking, unhealthy diets high in fat and lack of exercise.

Less-Common Risk Factors

• Other risk factors for peripheral arterial disease include being over 50, a family history of heart attack and stroke or PAD, and excess levels of homocysteine and C-reactive protein in the blood.

Associated Conditions

• Some medical conditions that put people at higher risk for PAD are diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

Causes

• Atherosclerosis, or fatty plaque buildup in the artery walls, is the most common cause of peripheral arterial disease.

Considerations

• Other reasons for peripheral arterial disease include injury, blood clots, unusual ligament or muscle formation and infection.