Final answer:
Atherosclerosis causes the arteries in your legs to harden and narrow due to plaque buildup, reducing blood flow and oxygen to the muscles, which causes pain when walking.
Step-by-step explanation:
Atherosclerosis is a condition where the walls of the arteries thicken and become stiff, due to the accumulation of plaques. These plaques, consisting of white blood cells, cholesterol, other fats, and sometimes calcium, build up on the inner walls and can reduce the flexibility and diameter of the arteries. This is what the nurse is referring to when explaining the pain in your legs while walking. When atherosclerosis affects the arteries in your legs, it's known as Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). PAD can lead to symptoms like pain during walking because the narrowed arteries mean that not enough oxygenated blood is reaching the muscle tissues in your legs. The pain typically eases with rest because the muscles' demand for oxygen is lower when they’re not as active. Atherosclerosis can lead to serious complications, such as a heart attack or stroke, if left untreated because it can also affect arteries that supply blood to the heart and brain .Therefore, the correct answer to the question 'My doctor just told me atherosclerosis is why my legs hurt when I walk. What does that mean?' is:
d. 'You have a hardening of your arteries and that decreases the oxygen to your legs.'