Peripheral Arterial Disease

Causes

Risk factors that may increase the likelihood of peripheral arterial disease and the risk of heart attack or stroke include:

• Diabetes
• Cigarette smoking
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol
• Previous stroke or heart attack
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle with minimal regular exercise
• Gender and age: Men 50 and older are affected most frequently.
• Family history of heart disease
• Other cardiovascular diseases
• Elevated levels of homocystine, an amino acid and building block of proteins that occurs naturally in the blood. Studies have found that people with elevated levels of homocystine have higher risk of heart and blood vessel damage.