What You Need To Know About Peripheral Heart Disease

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- We don't talk about peripheral artery disease very often, but this common condition increases your risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, infection and amputation. The problem is that it affects arteries that carry blood from your heart to your legs, arms, kidneys, stomach and head.

It occurs when plaque builds up inside your arteries and over time, plaque in your arteries can harden. This causes them to become narrow and reduces blood flow to other parts of your body, especially your legs.

You may feel numbness, aching, cramping, or heaviness, with improvement in symptoms after resting. There are physical signs including pale or bluish colored skin, weak pulses in your legs or feet, and sores or wounds that aren't healing. Increasing exercise can be helpful as long as you do it with a doctor's supervision.

If you are a smoker you definitely need to quit.

Certainly, at the very least you should work on a plan to try and slow down the progression of peripheral artery disease.