Peripheral Arterial Disease and Diabetes: Understanding the Links

As we wrap up PAD Awareness Month, it’s important to understand the connection between this condition and other diseases. Research shows that there is a strong link between peripheral arterial disease and diabetes. This post explains the connection and highlights prevention and treatment options.

What is PAD?

Peripheral artery disease is a condition in which your arteries are narrow or blocked due atherosclerosis. When you have PAD, your risk for lower extremity amputations increases. You will also be at increased risk for atherothrombosis, a condition in which some of the plaque lining your arteries due to atherosclerosis ruptures, blocking blood flow with the formation of a blood clot.

Atherosclerosis develops quietly over the course of many years. Often, it won’t cause any symptoms until PAD has significantly progressed. However, about one third of people with PAD experience a symptom known as intermittent claudication, according to research. Because claudication causes leg numbness, aching or cramping during physical activity, it can make it difficult for you to walk as far or as quickly as you’d like. In this way, peripheral artery disease can reduce your quality of life by limiting your mobility. To help prevent this outcome, it’s important to understand some of the risk factors for PAD, including the link between peripheral arterial disease and diabetes.

Peripheral Arterial Disease and Diabetes

PAD is more common in older adults; smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels also increase your risk for this condition. However, diabetes is a key risk factor as well; if you have this condition, PAD is more likely to develop, and the condition can progress at a faster rate. Additionally, patients with PAD and diabetes have a four-times higher risk of lower amputation when compared to non-diabetic PAD patients, according to research.

But why is that the case? The link seems to come from atherosclerosis, which may progress faster in diabetic patients with poorly controlled blood glucose levels or other risk factors. As such, PAD can be considered a complication of diabetes. So, in order to manage peripheral arterial disease and diabetes, care providers must recognize and address the link between both conditions.

Do you need more support managing PAD? Do you have diabetes, and want to check your risk for peripheral artery disease? We’re here to help. Request a consultation to learn more about your disease risk and management options. Then, if treatment is necessary, we can provide information about minimally invasive treatment options, including angioplasty for PAD, stenting and atherectomy.