PAD Awareness Month

As PAD Awareness Month continues, let’s talk about Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and what the symptoms can mean.

PAD occurs when arteries supplying the legs become narrowed, reducing blood flow.

The Rutherford classification describes clinical severity:

🔹 0 – Asymptomatic: PAD is present, but there are no symptoms.

🔹 1 – Mild claudication: Leg pain, aching, fatigue, or discomfort with walking that improves with rest.

🔹 2 – Moderate claudication: Walking-related leg symptoms that begin to limit activity.

🔹 3 – Severe claudication: Symptoms significantly limit walking and daily activities.

🔹 4 – Ischemic rest pain: Foot or leg pain occurs at rest, often worse at night and sometimes relieved by dangling the leg.

🔹 5 – Minor tissue loss: Nonhealing ulceration or limited tissue loss.

🔹 6 – Major tissue loss: Extensive ulceration, gangrene, or tissue loss that threatens the limb.

⚠️ Know the warning signs.

A nonhealing foot wound, new tissue loss, or persistent foot pain at rest can indicate severe limb ischemia and requires prompt medical evaluation.

PAD isn’t just a leg problem. It is a marker of systemic atherosclerotic disease and elevated cardiovascular risk.

#PAD #PeripheralArteryDisease #PADAwareness #HeartHealth #VascularHealth #Cardiology