5 questions to ask about peripheral artery disease

You have peripheral artery disease (PAD), now what? Understanding the risks and treatments associated with this common circulatory problem is important, here are five questions you should ask your doctor.

• Low-dose aspirin could cut some of your extra risk of heart disease and even stroke, and that's why the American College of Chest Physicians recommends a daily low-dose tablet for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Aspirin raises your odds of developing a stomach ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding. If you've had problems with these in the past, or if you already take other pain relievers every day (such as ibuprofen or a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), consider an anti-clotting drug that doesn't pose gastrointestinal risks

If your blood pressure remains above healthy levels despite several months of improved eating, exercise, and even weight loss, ask your doctor whether it's time to add blood pressure–lowering drugs to reduce your chances of a heart attack or stroke.

• Get your low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol below 100 mg/dl and keep your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) above 50 mg/dl for women and 40 mg/dl for men
• Each 1-point drop in LDL and each one-point rise in HDL will cut your heart risk by three percent
• If diet and exercise changes haven't rebalanced your blood fats enough, ask your doctor about LDL-lowering statin drugs and HDL-raising drugs such as prescription-strength niacin. In one study, people with PAD who took a statin not only cut heart risk, they also had less leg pain

• Too-high levels of this blood fat also raise heart attack and stroke risk
• Cutting out refined carbohydrates can bring them in line
• If your triglycerides still top 150 mg/dl (the recommended target for people with PAD), ask your doctor whether a statin or other drug could help

• People with diabetes who have PAD are six times more likely to develop dangerous skin infections and twice as likely to have PAD-related leg pain even when they're resting
• If you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar at healthy levels around the clock can lower your odds for these big problems
• If you don't, getting regular blood sugar checks (as often as your doctor recommends) can help you catch pre-diabetes early, in time to slow the development of full-blown diabetes by years — perhaps decades

Whether you're newly diagnosed with PAD or have been dealing with it for awhile, it's important to stay on top of your health. Asking your doctor these five simple questions can help.