PAD
Four Stages of PAD and What They Mean
Peripheral artery disease affects an ever-growing number of patients in the United States and around the world. However, PAD remains a relatively less known concern among patients, and our medical system still needs to catch up with screening for this disease. To fully understand PAD, it’s best to compare it to coronary artery disease; imagine the plaque build-up in the arteries of the limbs – the legs and the arms. As with any artery, plaque can build up on the walls of the peripheral arteries and occlude the vessel, slowing down blood flow. To this end, PAD is often an indicator of future coronary artery disease.