What is peripheral artery disease?
Peripheral artery disease is a general term for damage, defects, or blockage in the peripheral arteries. These arteries carry blood and supply oxygen to the hands and feet. Anyone can develop peripheral artery disease, but it is most common in people over the age of 50. Peripheral artery disease is sometimes called peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. Peripheral artery disease of the legs is the most common PAD, but the condition affects others parts of the body as well. Carotid artery disease occurs in the arteries of the neck. In renal artery disease, the arteries leading to the kidneys are blocked. Mesenteric artery disease (also called mesenteric artery ischemia) is a narrowing or blockage of one of the arteries supplying the large and small intestines. One of the most serious forms of peripheral artery disease is abdominal aortic aneurysm. This condition involves an abnormal widening of the aorta, the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Wha
