Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a common, yet serious, disease that raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. The disease develops when arteries in your legs become clogged with fatty deposits that limit blood flow to your legs. Just like clogged arteries in the heart, clogged arteries in the legs raise your risk for heart attack or stroke. Symptoms are not always visible; so many people may have PAD and not know it. People who do experience symptoms, such as pain or cramping in the legs, often do not report them, believing they are a natural part of aging or due to another cause.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up on the insides of your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body, including arteries in the heart, brain, arms, legs, and pelvis. As a result, different diseases may develop based on which arteries are affected. Some people with atherosclerosis have no signs or symptoms. They may not be diagnosed until after a heart attack or stroke. The main treatments for atherosclerosis are lifestyle changes including diet and excercise. These changes, along with ongoing medical care, can help you live a healthier life.
Strokes
A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. In both instances, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. These abilities include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much of the brain is damaged.
Aneurysms
An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or “ballooning” in the wall of an artery. An aneurysm that grows and becomes large enough can burst, causing dangerous, often fatal, bleeding inside the body. Most aneurysms occur in the aorta but they can also occur in arteries in the brain, heart, intestine, neck, spleen, back of the knees and thighs, and in other parts of the body. If an aneurysm in the brain bursts, it causes a stroke.