Millions of Americans have a condition that puts them at much higher risk of a heart attack or stroke … but most people don’t know about it.

According to a survey reported in the journal Circulation in September, only 25% of Americans were aware of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and only 25% knew that the disease is associated with an increased risk of heart attack. 

Here’s what you need to know about heart attack and PAD:

• When you have PAD, a fatty substance called plaque builds up inside artery walls, often in the arteries that provide blood to your legs. The reduced blood flow can make walking painful, and it can even lead to damage that requires amputation of your feet or legs. Roughly 8 million Americans have the condition. If plaque is building up in the arteries in your legs, it may also be accumulating inside the arteries to your heart, which can lead to a heart attack, and in your brain, which can cause a stroke.
   
• According to the National Institutes of Health, people with PAD have at least a six times greater risk of coronary heart disease, a heart attack, a stroke, or a mini-stroke.
   
• If you find out you have PAD, you and your doctor can take steps that may stop the plaque buildup in your arteries and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Sources: American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health

Learn more about peripheral arterial disease screening.

SCHEDULE A SCREENING