Health News

Peripheral Artery Disease Rate Soars
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs. The disease not only causes leg pain, but also triples the risk for heart attack or stroke. And it seems rates of PAD have risen worldwide.
Using Your Feet to Build Up Weak Legs
Limbs slowed and weakened by arteries with plaque build-up can benefit from exercise. Sometimes, patients with those problems have no choice but to create their own exercise plans.
Saving Limbs With Clogged Arteries
With peripheral arterial disease, plaque builds up in arteries, often in the legs. While patients are in danger of losing a limb, restoring blood flow can reduce the need for amputations.
Lifestyle Changes Maximize PAD Surgery Success
Scheduling surgery for a blocked leg artery? You may be able to do more than you think to ensure your procedure is a success. Simple lifestyle changes prior to an operation appear to lower the risk of complications and reduce the chance of a repeat surgery.
Drug-Eluting PAD Stent Approved
US Food and Drug Administration officials have approved the first medication-coated stent designed to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD), giving patients with blocked thigh arteries another option.
Experimental Drug Drops Clot Risk
An investigational drug appears to offer significant improvements for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), a recent trial found.
Bypass Surgery Becoming More Common for PAD
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients are now more likely to receive lower extremity bypass surgery to open clogged arteries in their legs. Despite the increase, survival rates remain unchanged.
Two Stent Types Effective in Treating Severe PAD
Patients with more severe forms of peripheral artery disease (PAD) generally have fewer treatment options available, and those that are offered aren't always a home run. A trial has found that two types of stents both offer effective treatment.
Generic Plavix on the Way
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials today approved generic versions of blockbuster blood thinner Plavix ( clopidogrel bisulfate).
Stem Cells Improve Outlook for Severe PAD
Scientists have increasingly been experimenting with therapies tied to a patient's own stem cells, and peripheral artery disease (PAD) is no exception.