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PAD
is underdiagnosed and undertreated in the United States, and rarely offers
warning signs to its estimated 8 to 12 million victims, who are generally older
adults. Probably only a third of the afflicted, about 4 million people, have leg
pain from PAD, which means that two-thirds of them really don't have symptoms
.
Symptoms, however, can include: pain, ache, cramp or severe fatigue in one or
both legs when walking (pain will subside upon resting) – so that those affected
slacken their walking pace, or stop altogether. In later stages of progression,
leg circulation may be so poor that pain occurs in the toes and feet during
periods of inactivity, especially at night. This is known as rest pain, which
usually worsens when the legs are elevated and is often relieved by lowering the
legs (due to the effects of gravity on the leg circulation).
In
later stages of the disease, the blockage can get so bad that it can lead to
gangrene and ulcers and loss of the foot or limb.
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