Symptoms of peripheral arterial disease: ramipril

What is peripheral arterial disease?

In people with peripheral arterial disease (also called peripheral vascular disease), the blood vessels (arteries) that carry blood to the legs become hardened and narrowed or blocked by a build‑up of fatty deposits. The most common symptom of peripheral arterial disease is a cramp‑like pain in the legs while walking or exercising, which stops after resting. This is called intermittent claudication.

People who have peripheral arterial disease are at risk of other problems with their heart or blood vessels (called cardiovascular disease). These include angina or a heart attack (if the flow of blood to the heart is reduced) or a stroke (if the flow of blood to the brain is reduced). This is because when the blood vessels in the legs and feet are narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits, it is likely that other blood vessels in the body are affected too.

Treatments for peripheral arterial disease aim to relieve pain in the legs during exercise (intermittent claudication) and reduce the risk of angina, heart attack and stroke. They include lifestyle changes (such as stopping smoking, losing weight and taking more exercise) and medicines to control cholesterol levels, blood pressure and diabetes. If these don't improve the symptoms, a medicine called naftidrofuryl oxalate is sometimes used.

More information is available in the NICE guideline on peripheral arterial disease.