For many older Americans, walking is a source of pleasure and fitness. There is a large segment of the population, however, for which walking and other everyday activities become nearly impossible. Every step is painful. Activities once accomplished with ease become laborious and difficult.
Quality of life suffers.
This disease affects close to one in 20 people over the age of 50, or eight million people in the United States. It is most common among people who suffer from coronary artery disease. This is a gradual process in which cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming plaque that clogs the arteries. Arteries that affect the legs can be the iliac artery in the abdomen, the femoral arteries in the thigh or those in the lower leg. According to J. Daniel Garnic, MD, a Glendale Heart Center interventional radiologist, the most prevalent symptom of PVD is painful leg cramping.