Few know about peripheral arterial disease

LAKEWOOD, Colo., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- A U.S. survey found 28 percent of U.S. women are aware of peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, a vascular disease that affects 4.5 million women.

The telephone survey of 2,501 U.S. adults over age 50, which included 1,338 women, found most women reported having at least one risk factor for PAD, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and a history of smoking. More than 1 in 4 also reported leg pain, which should trigger efforts to evaluate PAD.

Women were more knowledgeable about diseases such as stroke -- 74 percent, while 65 percent were knowledgeable about coronary artery disease and 67 percent knew about heart failure, but the the risk for PAD is equal to or greater than the risk for these conditions.

PAD occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits, reducing blood flow to the legs, which can result in leg muscle pain while walking as well as disability, amputation and a poor quality of life.

Twenty-seven percent of the women polled familiar with PAD linked it to an increased risk of heart attack, 28 percent associated PAD with a greater risk of stroke; 13 percent linked PAD with amputation.

The survey was commissioned by the Peripheral Arterial Disease Coalition.