How Long Can You Live With Peripheral Artery Disease & How Does It Affect My Daily Life?

The current era could see plenty of awareness among the common people about peripheral artery disease however still quantitative estimation of the subsequent complications and its impact on other organs remains inadequate. The primary objective of this article is to educate the peripheral artery disease patients and make them understand the seriousness of the problem.

Peripheral artery disease patients living with this condition should be aware of several things. As studies indicate, peripheral artery disease occurs when the plaque builds up in your arteries and there is a decreased blood flow to legs and limbs due to the blockages.

Blockages occur not only in legs but can occur anywhere in the body. These blockages can result in intense ongoing pain and significantly affects your life. The patients enduring this condition typically undergo a variety of leg ailments and make walking incredibly difficult.

Everyone has a reason to live a longer, healthier life however peripheral artery disease patients live a poor quality of life. Peripheral artery disease influences not only how healthy you live but also how protracted you may live. These patients may develop a fear that someday they won’t be able to walk at all. A study was conducted to determine the mortality and morbidity rates of 16,440 patients diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease. The majority of these patients were over 65 years of age and half of them were male. The studies demonstrated that 73% of these patients had added health complications in addition to peripheral artery disease.^1,2

The study could also see that 10% of patients had a subsequent stroke and another 10% had a heart attack and a mass percentage of patients died within 4.9 years. The death rate of the patients increased after a heart attack. However, the study shows that patients who suffered from a stroke showed less mortality rate in comparison with myocardial infarction patients. Similarly, patients with diabetes displayed the highest risk of death and other events during this study.

It is often suggested that you should discuss with your health care provider about your symptoms. Your doctor will advise on the potential consequences. There is no cure for this condition, but you can keep the symptoms under control with a better lifestyle, a healthy diet, and taking prescribed medications.³

Peripheral artery disease typically affects older adults however latest research shows it can be a problem among people of all ages. The common risk factors include smoking, a history of cardiovascular problems, and a few others.

Sometimes the condition does not show any symptoms whereas during many instances it potentially impacts the life quality. The peripheral artery disease patients are impacted in the following ways:

• Pain In The Legs: when there is an interruption in the blood transmission, clots start to occur which often results in severe leg pain and discomfort. Your walking becomes harder with sleepless nights. Pain during night affects your sleep quality thereby affects your overall health.
• Delays In The Healing Of The Sores: Studies show that there is a delayed healing rate in patients with peripheral artery disease. Delayed healing of sores may necessitate late revascularization, amputation, and survival rates.
• Fatigue And Heaviness: The pain and swelling are usually noticed in legs however the pain is felt even in thighs and buttocks. Intermittent symptoms caused numbness and heaviness of body parts and interfere with normal walking.^4,5

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Also Read:

• Peripheral Artery Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Do’s & Don’ts
• What is Peripheral Artery Disease: Causes, Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis
• Treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease: Medications, Surgery, Exercise Program
• Recovery Period of Peripheral Artery Disease & its Prognosis|Diet, Exercise, Yoga for Peripheral Artery Disease