From our Glossary: Words beginning with "R" through "T"

You can view these terms and others used in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease on our web site. We've made them easy-to-understand to help you in talking with health care professionals. Each newsletter will cover a section from our glossary.

Rest Pain: Constant pain, particularly at night or when lying down, found in the toes or foot. Caused by poor blood flow.

Revascularization: Any procedure to restore blood flow to an artery.

Stents: Wire mesh tubes that are inserted within the artery via a catheter threaded through the artery. It is opened up (expanded) to form a rigid support to hold the clogged artery open to potentially prevent recurrent narrowing.

Toe Pressure Index: A blood pressure measurement taken to help diagnose peripheral arterial disease. Normally used when the Doppler method of measuring the ankle pressure is inaccurate due to artery calcium buildup, typically seen in diabetics. This technique uses a special blood pressure cuff placed on the big toe.

Triglycerides: The chemical form in which most fats exist in food