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Leg pain can be an indication of serious illness
If you feel pain in the leg after a short walk and need to stop more often, this may indicate Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAOD). Circulatory disorder, also called "intermittent claudication," is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Leg pain may be an indication of intermittent claudication
Many people usually suspect a safe cause behind leg pain. But sometimes they can also be the symptom of a serious illness. For example, such symptoms may indicate an early heart attack. Behind the pain in the leg, but can also put the so-called intermittent claudication. Then the heart is in danger.
Four to five million Germans affected
The pain begins when walking – often in the calves: in the case of "peripheral arterial occlusive disease" (MAP), the arteries of the pelvis and legs are narrowed.
As a result, the blood does not penetrate the legs enough and is painful because the calf muscle cells do not get enough oxygen and nutrients.
In Germany, four to five million people suffer from a vascular circulatory disorder of the vessels (atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis).
Because patients are often forced to stop because of pain, PAOD is also called "intermittent claudication".
High risk of heart attack and stroke
"The MAP is associated with a high risk of heart attack and stroke", warns the cardiologist Prof. Dr. med. med. Dietrich Andresen, CEO of the German Foundation for the Heart, in a statement.
"Anyone who notices the first signs of intermittent claudication should consult a doctor as soon as possible."
The same is true for the pain felt while lying down at the toes, especially during relief.
If PAOD, which is also commonly referred to as a smoker's leg, is not recognized, the vessel shrinks into other parts of the body, such as the carotid artery, brain, kidneys and the heart, can also be left untreated.
The result is, for example, infarction, when atherosclerosis has progressed considerably. A simple examination makes it possible to quickly determine the state of the vessels.
In the absence of treatment, the symptoms increase
If intermittent claudication is not recognized, the blood circulation in the legs and pelvic arteries continues to deteriorate and symptoms increase.
Depending on the severity, the PAD is divided into four stages by the doctors:
In stage I, the arteries are narrowed, but do not cause any complaints. In Stage II, patients experience the pain described above while walking. In stage III, symptoms occur not only under stress, but already in peace.
This will then have serious consequences in stage IV: "If the blood circulation goes back further and the underserved tissue dies, a" gangrene "or an open ulcer is produced", explains Prof. Dr. med. med. Dr. h. c. Klaus Mathias, radiologist and specialist in vascular medicine (Dortmund).
"However, if vascular disease is detected in time and treated accordingly, such a dramatic evolution can often be prevented."
Diagnosis and therapy
As the Heart Foundation writes, PAD can be diagnosed by a simple test: the doctor scans the pulse in the groin and foot and measures the arterial pressure of the ankle and foot.
If the pulse is weakened or absent, or if the pressure is reduced, the diagnosis is "PAD". Ultrasound can then determine the extent of vascular disease.
In general, doctors recommend a lifestyle change: patients must, among other things, stop smoking, eat healthy and exercise regularly, ideally 30 to 40 minutes per day.
"In severe cases, however, it is necessary to restore the blood circulation by a small procedure," says Prof. Dr. med. med. Sigrid Nikol, Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Clinical and Interventional Angiology at the Asklepios St. Georg Clinic in Hamburg.
"Different catheter techniques can restore normal blood flow."
The catheter, a small tube, is advanced through the blood vessels until constriction and the vessel is dilated from the inside. In some cases, a stent is used. In general, interventions are less painful and less complicated.
Risk Factors Diabetes and Hypertension
Heart patients should pay special attention to the first signs of intermittent claudication, because PAOD has the same cause as coronary artery disease:
Deposits are formed in the blood vessels that shrink the vessels over the years – arteries "calcify" (atherosclerosis).
Although all human beings form these deposits over the course of life, it is important to determine the extent to which genetic factors, lifestyle, and pre-existing conditions are the most important factors.
Smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and lipid metabolism disorders increase, among other things, the risk of arteriosclerosis.
Since coronary or cerebral arteries can also shrink, the risk of infarction is greatly increased in people with atherosclerosis.
"Patients with DAPP should always pay attention to the signs of coronary heart disease or heart failure," says vascular specialist Nikol.
In contrast, patients with such heart disease should be screened for the presence of MAP. (Ad)
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