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NHLBIHIN

Stay in Circulation Wallet Card

This handy fold-out card provides information about Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) in a format that is easy to slip into a wallet and carry to the doctor’s office. Use it to learn about P.A.D., its risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options. Includes questions to ask your health care provider to help assess your risk for P.A.D. There is also space to record important health numbers, like ABI results and blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.

Item number
07-6145

Full text

Originally published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH Publication No. 07-6145). U.S. government work, public domain. Reproduced as archived reference, not current guidance.

Stay in Circulation

Take Steps to Learn About P.A.D.

www.aboutpad.org

P.A.D. (peripheral arterial disease) means clogged arteries in your legs. It raises your risk for heart attack and stroke.

You can lower your risk for P.A.D. Asking your health care provider about P.A.D. can help you stay in circulation longer to enjoy your life.

FACTS ABOUT P.A.D.

  • P.A.D. develops when your arteries become clogged with plaque—fatty deposits that limit blood flow to your legs.
  • Just like clogged arteries in the heart, clogged arteries in the legs mean you are at higher risk for having a heart attack or stroke.

SYMPTOMS

Many people with P.A.D. do not have noticeable symptoms. When present, P.A.D. symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue, heaviness, cramping, or pain in the leg muscles during activity such as walking that goes away with rest
  • Leg or foot pain that disturbs sleep
  • Sores, wounds, or ulcers on the toes, feet, or legs that are slow to heal

For more information,

RISK FACTORS

  • Age (over 50)
  • African American
  • Smoke or used to smoke
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol
  • Personal history of vascular disease, heart attack, or stroke

visit www.aboutpad.org.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

  1. Does my medical history raise my risk for P.A.D.?
  2. Do I need to do anything about my blood glucose, blood pressure, or cholesterol?
  3. Which screening tests or exams are right for me?
  4. If I have P.A.D., what steps should I take to treat it?
  5. What steps can I take to reduce my risk for heart attack and stroke?
  6. What can I do to quit smoking?

TOTAL CHOLESTEROL Desirable: less than 200 mg/dL Borderline High: 200–239 mg/dL High: 240 mg/dL and above

HDL CHOLESTEROL HDL cholesterol less than 40 mg/dL is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

LDL CHOLESTEROL Optimal: less than 100 mg/dL Near Optimal: 100 –129 mg/dL Borderline High: 130–159 mg/dL High: 160 –189 mg/dL Very High: 190 mg/dL and above

BLOOD GLUCOSE (fasting) Normal: 99 mg/dL and below Prediabetes: 100 –125 mg/dL Diabetes: 126 mg/dL and above

BLOOD PRESSURE Normal: less than 120/80 mmHg Prehypertension: 120/80 to 139/89 mmHg Hypertension: 140/90 mmHg or higher

ANKLE-BRACHIAL INDEX (ABI) A test that compares the blood pressure readings in your ankles and arms to help determine whether you have P.A.D. Normal: 1.0 –1.3 Possible P.A.D.: 0.91 –.99 or greater than 1.3 P.A.D.: 0.90 or less

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

HDL CHOLESTEROL

LDL CHOLESTEROL

BLOOD GLUCOSE

BLOOD PRESSURE

ABI

Date

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NIH Publication No. 07-6145 July 2007

Archived page, reproduced from a 2010 copy. It is reference material, not current guidance.