Peripheral Vascular Disease Overview

What is PVD?

Peripheral vascular disease affects the blood vessels of the body outside of the heart. It is the same athersclerotic disease process that affects the heart with a different name related to its location.

What Causes PVD?

Atherosclerosis has several causes including:

• Lipid-rich diet
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Genetic predisposition

We all have heard about the effects of these lifestyle choices on our heart and the long-term damage it causes. What we have often not understood is that this disease affects all of the blood vessels in our body.

Progression of PVD

A blood vessel affected by atherosclerosis has hardened plaques on the walls, can be inflammed, and is often narrowed or even blocked. When tissue in the body, for example in the foot, lacks proper blood supply it lbegins to starve. The longer this process goes on, the more the tissue is weakened and begins to die. Tissue death is known as "necrosis". When heart muscle dies inb this way we refer to it as a heart attack. When brain tissue experiences the same fate we call it a stroke. Critical Limb Ischemia is what results in the arms or more commonly the legs. Wounds are unable to heal. Infections and tissue death can eventually overtake the limb requiring that it be amputated before it results life-threatening infections to the patient.