Leg Discomfort Might Signal Heart problem

A disease the affects your legs could advise you about potential heart trouble, latest research suggests. About 9 million Americans above the age of 50 have peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which puts them at enlarged risk for heart attack, according to the Vascular Disease Foundation and its PAD Coalition. But many people do not know they have the state, the foundation says. PAD occurs when arteries in the legs become pointed or clogged with fatty deposits. The summary blood flow to the legs can cause muscle pain when walking, disability, exclusion and poor excellence of life. And if you have blocked artery in your legs, you're likely to have blocked artery elsewhere in your body, with your heart.

Symptoms of PAD contain: fatigue, heaviness, tiredness or cramping in the calf, thigh or buttock muscles that happened during action but goes away with rest; foot or toe pain at rest that often disturb sleep; skin wounds or ulcers on the feet or toes that are slow to heal. "Often, people think leg discomfort or slow healing sore are now a division of aging, yet they can be signs of a severe disease," Dr. Joseph Caporusso, chair of the PAD Coalition, said in a Vascular Disease Foundation news release. The alliance includes more than 80 North American health care organization, professional societies, government society and corporations. "Through early detection and proper treatment, we can decrease the devastating consequences of PAD and develop the nation's cardiovascular health," Caporusso said.