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Patient Education

How is Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Diagnosed?

Review of Medical History

The first step in determining whether a person has Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) is to take a thorough medical history. When describing their history, persons with P.A.D. may recount problems with claudication (tiredness, aching, or cramping in the legs when exercising, which is relieved with rest), atrophy (shrinking) of leg tissue and impotence. A clinician can obtain essential information about the potential location of arterial narrowing or blockages by interviewing the person.