If you’re over the age of 50 and experience leg pain when you walk or climb stairs, don’t ignore it. Studies show that one in five adults over 55 have Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD), a common circulation problem that can significantly affect your quality of life and long-term health.
“Many people with PVD dismiss these symptoms as a normal part of aging,” said Clinical Cardiologist Elias A. Iliadis, M.D., Medical Director of Noninvasive Vascular Intervention at the Cooper Heart Institute. “Tell your doctor if you’re feeling pain in your legs and discuss whether you should be tested for PVD. Left undiagnosed and untreated, PVD puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, and other serious, health complications.”
The most common symptoms of PVD are cramping, pain, or a tiredness or heavy feeling in the legs while walking or climbing stairs. Typically, the pain goes away with rest and returns when you’re active again.
PVD is a narrowing or blockage of arteries that decreases blood flow to the legs. The most common cause is the buildup of plaque on the inside of arteries. Plaque is made of extra cholesterol, calcium and other material in your blood. Over time, the plaque builds up along the inner walls of the arteries and prevents the blood from flowing freely to the muscles and other tissues in your legs.
This restricted blood flow is what causes the pain in your legs when you walk or climb stairs. During physical activity, your muscles need increased blood flow. If your arteries are narrowed or blocked, you’re legs aren’t getting the extra blood they need to fuel the exertion. When you’re at rest, the muscles need less blood flow, so the pain goes away.
“Given the nature of these kinds of activity-related symptoms, it’s easy to understand how people in their 50’s or 60’s might just attribute their discomfort to ‘mid-life aches and pains.’ But that’s a mistake. Making the diagnosis of PVD requires a physician’s exam and simple, noninvasive screening tests to determine if it’s PVD and evaluate it’s severity,” Dr. Iliadis said.
The Cooper Heart Institute offers expert physicians and simple, noninvasive tests to diagnose and treat PVD. The screening begins with a physical examination to check for weak pulses in the legs and includes an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test. The ABI is a painless exam that compares the blood pressure in your feet to the blood pressure in your arms to see how well your blood is flowing. If an ABI reveals an abnormal ratio, other diagnostic testing may be recommended.
“As vascular specialists, we perform thorough physical exams and simple tests, such as the ABI or pulse volume recordings, to help define the contribution of vascular disease to leg pain. At Cooper, all patients diagnosed with PVD are treated with medical therapy first, and, happily, most feel better,” Dr. Iliadis said.
Call 1-800-8-Cooper (800-826-6737) to speak with our physician referral and information service.
Difference between this and restless legs syndrome? My legs, especially, calves, get “crampy” and heavy at times. There’s a constant “tingling” in my leg muscles when I first lay down at night. Am I a PVD candidate?
Good and common question. PVD causes leg pain with walking (usually cramping of calfs, thighs or buttocks) and releived with rest. PVD can cause night-time leg pain that reselmbles restless leg syndrome but usually has activity component. Your doctor can help make the diagnosis through the non-invasive testing. A simple ankle brachial index may help make the diagnosis and help define the degree of disease if any. This will help clarifiy the benefits of medical therapy or further testing. Good Luck.
Be well,
Elias A. Iliadis, MD, FACC, FSCAI, RPVI
Associate Director, Cardiac Cath Lab
Cooper University Hospital
Assistant Professor of Medicine
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
856.342.3016
I get pain in the back of my legs only if I climb ALOT of steps. (Several flights). I get really bad pain in the back of my legs when I am sleeping and I go to stretch by legs. The back of my legs pops out and the pain is awful. I have to rub my leg to get it to go back down. Is this a charlie horse or is this being caused by my Lipitor or something else.
Judy, your symptoms are very atypical for Peripheral Vascular Disease. The PVD symptoms are usually cramping of the calves or thighs/buttocks with walking or exertion and relieved with rest. Though nighttime cramps are common in many diseases, your symptoms sound less like PVD and more like deconditioning. The symptoms of myalgias from statins (atorvastatin aka Lipitor) are diffuse muscle aches of the upper arms and upper legs and feels like one has the flu. Lastly, depending upon your risk factors, your doctor may wish to confirm the presence/absence of PVD with simple, painless non-invasive vascular testing such as ankle brachial index. Good luck.
Be well,
Elias A. Iliadis, MD, FACC, FSCAI, RPVI
Associate Director, Cardiac Cath Lab
Cooper University Hospital
Assistant Professor of Medicine
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
856.342.3016
I have pains and tingling sensations mainly in my feet and the back of my calves, with general tirdness of my whole legs, this happens not only while climbing stairs but also while sitting and is only relieved by raising my leg to the straight position, there also seem to be a relationship with having pains in my legs and stiffness of my neck, Does PVD effect other parts of the body?