Risk Factors*
Some conditions and habits raise your chance of developing PAD:
- Age 50 or over
- Smoke or used to smoke: Smoking is more closely related to developing PAD than any other risk factor. Smoking increases the risk of developing PAD three to five times
- Diabetes: One in every three people over the age of 50 with diabetes is likely to have PAD
- High blood cholesterol: Excess cholesterol and fat in your blood contribute to the formation of plaque in the arteries, reducing or blocking blood flow to your heart, brain, or limbs
- High blood pressure
- Personal history of vascular disease, heart attack, or stroke: If you have heart disease, you have a one-in-three chance of also having PAD
- African American: African Americans are more than twice as likely to have PAD
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* American Heart Association