What do you Know about PAD?—The Quiz

Keeping in Circulation has provided a lot of information about PAD. Now it's your turn — to find out how much you know.

1. "PAD" stands for what?
PAD stands for peripheral arterial disease.

2. PAD affects which blood vessels: arteries, veins, or both?
PAD affects the arteries outside of the heart. This includes the arteries to the brain, arms, aorta, kidneys and gut, as well as the legs. It often is used to describe the most common manifestation, which is atherosclerotic disease of the arteries to the legs.

3. PAD is caused by a build-up of what on the inside of the blood vessel.
The most common cause of PAD is atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque on the inside wall of the arteries. This plaque narrows the artery making it difficult for oxygenated blood to flow as it should.

4. True/False: If I don't have pain in my legs when walking, then I don't have PAD.
False. The most common symptom of PAD is a discomfort, fatigue, or pain in leg muscles that occurs with walking and quickly goes away when you stop. This symptom is called claudication. However, most individuals with PAD do not have this symptom, which occurs in 1 to 3 out of 10 individuals with PAD. In other words, most people with PAD do not have recognizable discomfort in their legs when walking. You are at risk for PAD if you have claudication, smoke or used to smoke, have diabetes, have high cholesterol, have high blood pressure, are over 50 years old, and have a family history of heart or vascular disease. So, if you are at risk for PAD, you should ask your doctor for a test to find out if you have it.

5. True/False: Your risk for dying from breast cancer is greater than from PAD.
False. Someone with PAD has a 28 percent risk of dying in 5 years. Someone with breast cancer has a 15 percent risk. PAD is serious. Again, if you are at risk for PAD, find out. And if you have PAD, be sure you are getting treatment.