Clogged Arteries and Leg Pain

In elderly people and sometimes younger as well, pain in the legs and limping is sometimes dismissed as arthritis or the normal aches and pains that come as a person ages. However, sometimes leg pain can signal a much more serious problem - clogged arteries.

Clogged arteries that result in leg pain is called claudication. It's the result of peripheral artery disease, which occurs in a way very similar to coronary heart disease - arteries build up with plaque and become hardened and narrowed. As a result, a shortage of oxygen reaches the leg muscles. In most cases, this is a temporary condition and the pain usually subsides with walking, which allows the blood to circulate.

Who Suffers From this Condition?
Leg pain as a result of clogged arteries is usually a condition that affects the elderly. While peripheral artery disease resulting in claudication only affects about 1% of the population under the age of 60, that statistic rises to 5% of the whole population of people over 75. Men are also more likely to develop this condition, although the reasons are unknown.

How is it Caused?
Claudication results from narrowed arteries in the legs. This can be the result of a number of factors. One is atherosclerosis, the narrowing of an artery. This happens when plaque build up from cholesterol and fats becomes so great the walls of the arteries are narrowed or blocked, shutting off the blood supply. Atherosclerosis is caused by a number of factors, including high blood pressure, a fattening diet, and heart disease.

Another cause comes from a temporary narrowing of the arteries. This narrowing is caused by spasms of the artery and usually goes away before long. In some cases, claudication results from the complete blockage of the arteries. This is the most serious form.

How is it Treated?
Fortunately, claudication in the legs as a result of clogged arteries is not as serious as a heart attack. The prognosis for sufferers is good, as long as the condition is recognized and then treated. If left untreated, it can become fatal.

Depending on the severity of the condition, it can be easily treated. If the clogged arteries are limited to the leg or lower body, doctors will typically encourage patients to begin lifestyle changes, such as lowering blood pressure, eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, and gaining control of diabetes if the patient suffers from that as well. Many times, a simple exercise program of walking is all the patient needs to alleviate the pain caused by the clogged arteries. This improves circulation in the affected arteries. Within a few weeks, many sufferers of this condition notice a dramatic improvement in the pain in their legs - in most cases, they are able to double their walking distance after 6-8 weeks.

When the condition has been present for some time and the arteries are severely narrowed, the doctor may prescribe a series of medication to open the arteries and get the blood flowing again. There are two specific medications on the market today designed specifically for claudication: pentoxifylline and cilostazol.

Occasionally, medication and lifestyle changes will not be enough to help the patient relieve the pain in their legs caused by clogged arteries. When this is the case, surgery can be performed to open the narrowed arteries. This can be done via bypass grafting. Doctors also use interventional radiology, such as balloon angioplasty, to open the clogged arteries. While this is most often does as a last resort for patients who have a severe case, it does not always completely fix the problem.