When your legs start aching after walking just a few blocks, it’s not just aging—it could be peripheral artery disease, a condition where plaque builds up in arteries outside the heart, mostly in the legs, reducing blood flow. Also known as PAD, it’s a clear sign that your blood vessels are clogged, and ignoring it raises your risk of heart attack or stroke. This isn’t rare. About 1 in 20 people over 50 have it, and many don’t even know until they’re in serious trouble.
At its core, atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of arteries from fatty deposits is the main driver behind PAD. It’s the same process that causes heart disease, but here it hits your legs first. You might feel cramping, tiredness, or sharp pain in your calves, thighs, or hips when walking—this is called claudication. Rest helps, but the pain comes back. That’s not normal muscle soreness; it’s your muscles screaming for oxygen because blood can’t get through. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol all speed this up. If you’re over 50 and smoke, or over 65 even if you don’t, you’re in the high-risk group.
What makes PAD dangerous isn’t just the leg pain—it’s what’s happening elsewhere. If your leg arteries are clogged, chances are your heart and brain arteries are too. Many people with PAD don’t realize they’re one heart attack away from disaster. That’s why checking for PAD isn’t optional if you have risk factors. Simple tests like the ankle-brachial index (ABI), which compares blood pressure in your ankle to your arm, can spot it early. Lifestyle changes—quitting smoking, walking daily, eating less processed food—can slow or even reverse the damage. Medications like statins and blood pressure drugs aren’t just for show; they cut your risk of major events by up to 30%.
Some of the posts below dig into how physical therapy helps with leg pain from PAD, how certain drugs like statins and antifungals interact, and why managing other conditions like diabetes matters. You’ll also find real advice on how to spot early signs, what to ask your doctor, and how to avoid dangerous mistakes like skipping meds or overdoing exercise. This isn’t about fear—it’s about control. PAD doesn’t have to limit your life if you know what to look for and what to do next.
Cardiovascular disease causes nearly one-third of U.S. deaths each year. Learn how heart attacks, strokes, and vascular problems develop-and what actually works to prevent or reverse them, based on 2025 medical guidelines.