Peripheral Arterial Insufficiency

Leg pain and other symptoms of periphery arterial disease (PAD), which happens when narrowed blood vessels reduce the flow of blood to your limbs, can make it hard to get enough sleep. So can certain sleep disorders that are linked to PAD. PAD is most often caused by atherosclerosis, which is when fats and other debris from your bloodstream build up inside your arteries. It usually affects the blood supply to your legs, but sometimes it involves your arms. Treatment for PAD, and for any related conditions you may have, can help you get the rest you need. What Are the Symptoms of PAD? The symptoms of PAD, sometimes called peripheral arterial disease, can range from mild to serious. Some people with the disorder "may have no symptoms at all," says Lee Kirksey, MD, a vascular surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. In other cases, it causes problems like: Claudication. This is leg pain you get when you exercise, usually in your calf or thigh muscles. "Patients typically describe

An analysis of data from more than 400 women included in a major study is detailing the insight provided by changes in patterns of menstrual cycle length over the menopause transition on risk of atherosclerosis in aging women. The study, which leveraged data from women within the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Daily Hormone Study (DHS), identified 3 distinct trajectories of cycle length and described their associations with postmenopausal carotid intima-media thickness and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. "Menopause is not just a click of a button. It's a multistage transition where women experience many changes that could put them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Change in cycle length, which is linked to hormone levels, is a simple metric that might tell us who is more at risk," Samar El Khoudary, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health, in a statement from the North American Men

Doctors can use various blood tests to determine whether a person has experienced a heart attack. If a doctor suspects a person has had a heart attack, they will typically take a blood sample and test for cardiac markers that may indicate a heart attack. A heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), happens when not enough oxygen-rich blood reaches the heart, decreasing its oxygen supply. This loss of blood supply occurs when one or more of the arteries supplying blood to the heart become blocked, often due to a clot, or when the demand for oxygen-rich blood exceeds the supply. These clots develop due to atherosclerosis, which occurs when plaques of fatty deposits, cholesterol, and other substances accumulate in the arteries. When plaques rupture, blood clots form and may lead to a heart attack. Prolonged lack of oxygen leads to cell death in the heart muscle, causing a heart attack. Symptoms include tightness or pain in the chest that can spread to the neck, shoulders, and arms. To

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure that provides information on how well a person's heart is working. To perform cardiac catheterization, a healthcare professional will insert flexible tubing into the heart through a blood vessel in the neck, arm, or groin. The healthcare professional may perform other procedures during the test, depending on the findings of the cardiac catheterization. This article discusses what cardiac catheterization is. It also looks at who might need it and outlines what happens during the procedure. Cardiac catheterization is an imaging procedure that allows healthcare professionals to examine how well a person's heart is working or how the blood vessels around the heart look. During the procedure , a healthcare professional may: Check the pressure in each chamber of the heart. Take blood samples to measure oxygen levels. Evaluate how well the pumping chambers in the heart contract. Locate any defects in the valves and chambers. There are two types

Eczema is a term for multiple conditions that cause itching, inflammation, or a rash-like occurrence on the skin. It is a common disorder, with over 31 million Americans experiencing it, according to the National Eczema Association (NEA). The symptoms of eczema can vary and may not be the same for everyone. There can even be different kinds of eczema on different parts of your body at various times. Much of the information available about eczema is about how the symptoms appear on light skin. But eczema on dark skin can look different. In people with black or brown skin, scratching the itchy skin can also lead to hyperpigmentation in affected areas. Hyperpigmentation is when the skin becomes darker than usual. Other the other hand, inflammation can sometimes cause depigmentation on dark skin. This is when the skin loses color and becomes lighter than usual. Being aware of the symptoms can help you determine if you need to see a doctor for a definitive diagnosis and any treatment. The h

Heat rash is a skin condition that often develops in hot and humid environments. Although it can be annoying, it typically doesn't last too long. Eczema, on the other hand, is a long-term, chronic condition that needs ongoing treatment and symptom management. Although the two conditions may have some similarities in their appearance, they're not the same. Read on to learn more about how to tell the difference between these two skin conditions, how to treat them, and when to get medical attention. You can blame your sweat glands and perhaps your summer wardrobe for heat rash, which typically happens in warm, humid conditions. To cool your body down when you're warm, sweat is produced by glands in the deeper layers of your skin. But if the pores in your skin get clogged, the sweat can't be released onto the surface of your skin. In some cases, clothing that doesn't allow your skin to breathe may also play a role in trapping the sweat. When sweat gets trapped by clogge

Cardiovascular risk assessment in symptomatic patients can rely heavily on insights that calcium scans add to the clinical evaluation, but their added value in ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) might well depend on age, suggests an observational study of almost 24,000 such patients. A minority of the cohort's 5043 patients with obstructive CAD, just over 14%, showed no sign of coronary calcium; that is, they had a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score of 0. But the prevalence of a zero CAC score was much higher in patients who were younger than 60 years. In practice, patients showing no coronary calcium might be considered off the hook for further testing, including computed tomographic angiography (CTA). But "a strategy that uses a CAC score of 0 to rule out obstructive CAD in all symptomatic patients will likely miss a sizable proportion of younger patients" with obstructive CAD, contends a report published online

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a narrowing of the peripheral arteries that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. Both PAD and coronary artery disease are caused by atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries. New research by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrates that high levels of a specific protein circulating in the blood accurately detect a severe type of peripheral artery disease. The protein, called circulating fatty acid synthase (cFAS), is an enzyme that manufactures saturated fatty acids. The new study suggests that cFAS may play a potential role in the plaque formation of cardiovascular disease. Their findings appear in the journal Scientific Reports in a paper titled, "Prevalence of elevated serum fatty acid synthase in chronic limb-threatening ischemia." "There are currently no serum-based evaluations that can corroborate the severity of PAD," the researchers wro

October 7, 2021 October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time to learn about a condition that about 6,000 babies are born with each year in the United States. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States, occurring in about one in 700 babies and in people of all races and economic levels. Usually babies are born with 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent. Those with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, which impacts how their bodies and brains develop. There are three types of Down syndrome: Trisomy 21 — each cell has three copies of chromosome 21. Most people have this type. Translocation Down syndrome — an extra whole or extra part of chromosome 21 is present, but it's attached to a different chromosome. This occurs in about 3% of people with Down syndrome. Mosaic Down syndrome — cells have a combination of the above two conditions. This affects about 2% of those with Down syndrome. Peop

In vivo CT images of abdominal aortic aneurysms in mice with and without GNPs. The images showed significantly higher CT attenuation values in the perivascular area (yellow arrows) in mice injected with GNPs. (Courtesy: CC BY 4.0/H Kosuge et al Mol. Imaging Biol. 10.1007/s11307-021-01654-5)"> In vivo CT images of abdominal aortic aneurysms in mice with and without GNPs. The images showed significantly higher CT attenuation values in the perivascular area (yellow arrows) in mice injected with GNPs. (Courtesy: CC BY 4.0/H Kosuge et al Mol. Imaging Biol. 10.1007/s11307-021-01654-5)"> Contrast enhancement: In vivo CT images of abdominal aortic aneurysms in mice with and without GNPs. The images showed significantly higher CT attenuation values in the perivascular area (yellow arrows) in mice injected with GNPs. (Courtesy: CC BY 4.0/ Mol. Imaging Biol. 10.1007/s11307-021-01654-5) Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) show potential as CT contrast

If you suddenly develop a rash on your face or body, you may not automatically link it to your birth control method. However, if you're taking a hormonal form of birth control, it may be the cause. If you're allergic to latex and use condoms, you may get a rash. The chemicals in spermicides and the inactive ingredients in birth control pills can also cause an allergic rash. Birth control can cause several types of rashes. Read on to find out what they are, and what you can do about them. Birth control often contains estrogen, progestin, or a combination of both. Progestin is a synthetic type of progesterone. The rashes caused by hormonal birth control methods may be an autoimmune response caused by hormone allergies to estrogen or progesterone. The ratio between the amount of estrogen and progestin that a birth control method contains may also have an impact. There are several types of skin rashes that hormonal forms of birth control may cause or worsen, including: Erythema n

The coronary arteries run along the surface of the heart and supply the heart muscle with blood. Usually, two main coronary arteries, the left and the right, arise from the base of the aorta and form a circle around the base of the heart. A large coronary artery called the posterior interventricular artery, or posterior descending artery (PDA), runs lengthwise along the back of the heart, supplying blood to its posterior (bottom) portion. Like the other coronary arteries, the posterior descending artery can be affected by coronary artery disease. krisanapong detraphiphat / Getty Images Anatomy Structure The heart is roughly cone-shaped, with a base (the wider part of the cone) and apex (the tip of the cone). There are four cardiac chambers: the smaller atria toward the base of the heart, and the larger ventricles toward the apex. A groove that runs lengthwise along the heart, from the base to the apex, divides the right and left vent

Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. As you get older, fats, cholesterol, and calcium can collect in your arteries and form plaque. The buildup of plaque makes it difficult for blood to flow through your arteries. This buildup may occur in any artery in your body, including around your heart, legs, brain, and kidneys. It can result in a shortage of blood and oxygen in various tissues of your body. Pieces of plaque can also break off, causing a blood clot. Without treatment, atherosclerosis can lead to heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, among other conditions. Atherosclerosis is a fairly common problem associated with aging. This condition can be prevented and many successful treatment options exist. Did you know? Atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis, otherwise known as hardening of the arteries. The terms "atherosclerosis&q