What is Peripheral Vascular Disease(PVD)?
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a slow and progressive circulation disorder. It may involve disease in any of the blood vessels outside of the heart and diseases of the lymph vessels – the arteries, veins, or lymphatic vessels. Organs supplied by these vessels such as the brain, heart, and legs, may not receive adequate blood flow for ordinary function. However, the legs and feet are most commonly affected, thus the name peripheral vascular disease. Click Image to Enlarge Conditions associated with PVD that affect the veins include deep vein thrombosis (DVT), varicose veins, and chronic venous insufficiency. Lymphedema is an example of PVD that affects the lymphatic vessels. When PVD occurs in the arteries outside the heart, it may be referred to as peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, the terms “peripheral vascular disease” and “peripheral arterial disease” are often used interchangeably. In the US, about 10 million people have peripheral artery disease. It is frequently f
PVD is the medical name of the group of medical problems that causes poor circulation to the toes, feet and legs. One of the major diseases in this group is called arteriosclerosis. Frequently, arteriosclerosis is not confined to one artery but may involve arteries in other areas as well. Some of the more commonly affected peripheral areas are the arteries in the legs, arms, kidneys and neck.
