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Q.

Who is at risk for peripheral artery disease?

Related Topics: Peripheral Artery Disease
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Peripheral artery disease (or peripheral arterial disease) is a common condition that affects approximately 10 million adults in the U.S. About 5% of people over the age of 50 are believed to suffer from peripheral artery disease. Peripheral artery disease is slightly more common in men than in women and most often occurs in older persons (over the age of 50). The known risk factors for peripheral artery disease are those that predispose to the development of atherosclerosis. Risk factors for peripheral artery disease include:

  • High blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
  • Low blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol.
  • Cigarette smoking.
  • Diabetes mellitus (both type I and type II).
  • High blood pressure (hypertension) or a family history of hypertension.
  • A family history of atherosclerotic disease .
  • Chronic renal failure.
  • Overweight or obesity.
  • Physical inactivity.

In peripheral artery disease, the risk factors are additive, so that a person with a combination of two risk factors -- diabetes and smoking for example -- has a greater likelihood of developing more severe peripheral artery disease than a person with only one risk factor.

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