Final answer:
Factors that increase the risk for Peripheral Arterial Disease include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and lifestyle factors like obesity and lack of exercise. Symptoms include leg pain with walking and possible skin changes. Diagnosis involves comparing blood pressure readings from the ankle and arm, with lower ankle readings indicating PAD.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factors that place an individual at a higher risk for developing Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) are smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), and high blood cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). PAD is caused by atherosclerosis, the accumulation of plaque in the walls of peripheral arteries, especially in the legs, resulting in narrowed blood vessels and reduced blood flow. This condition is marked by symptoms such as intermittent claudication, which is leg pain during walking that usually resolves with rest, as well as potential skin ulcers, bluish or cold skin, and poor nail and hair growth on the affected limbs. The diagnosis often involves comparing blood pressure readings at the ankle and upper arm, with a lower reading at the ankle being indicative of PAD.
Other risk factors contributing to the development of PAD include family history of cardiovascular disease, obesity, high alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, and the presence of fatty streaks in the blood vessels that can begin to form in childhood and progressively worsen. Lifestyle modifications, medications, and procedures like angioplasty, stent insertion, or bypass surgery are among the treatment options.