4 Lifestyle Changes to Improve PAD

Up to 12 million Americans have peripheral artery disease, or PAD. It's a vascular condition that develops when your arteries narrow (atherosclerosis). It restricts blood flow to your limbs, often causing symptoms like foot pain, slow-healing wounds, and different-colored skin on your legs and feet.

Medical interventions, like medication and procedures, can help manage PAD — but making lifestyle changes is key to improving your symptoms and enhancing your overall quality of life. At Vascular & Interventional Specialists in Miami, Florida, we partner with people to help them understand their condition and make healthy lifestyle changes.

Here are four lifestyle changes we often recommend to improve PAD:

1. Get regular exercise

Physical activity is vital to any healthy lifestyle and can help you manage PAD, too. Exercise boosts blood circulation, strengthens muscles, and enhances cardiovascular health, all of which benefit people with PAD.

Making regular exercise a habit can help alleviate symptoms like leg pain and cramping because exercise promotes collateral circulation. Collateral circulation occurs when smaller blood vessels develop to bypass blocked arteries, increasing blood flow in your legs over time.

Walking, cycling, and swimming are excellent options for people with PAD because they offer all the cardiovascular benefits without putting excessive strain on your legs. Remember to clear any new exercise plan with our team. Try starting with short sessions and gradually increasing duration and intensity to help you safely incorporate exercise into your routine.

2. Eat a healthy diet

A balanced and nutritious diet is another important element for managing PAD. Eating a healthy diet helps reduce related risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

We recommend focusing on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats to help you maintain a healthy weight, regulate blood sugar levels, and lower cholesterol. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to optimize blood flow and prevent dehydration.

Limit your consumption of saturated and trans fats, refined sugars, and sodium to reduce inflammation and improve your arterial health.

3. Get help to quit smoking

Smoking is a significant risk factor for PAD. It damages blood vessels, accelerates atherosclerosis, and increases your risk of complications like blood clots and poor wound healing.

That means if you smoke, quitting is one of the most impactful lifestyle changes you can make to improve your condition and reduce your risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.

We offer smoking cessation support, which can include nicotine replacement therapy, prescription medications, counseling, and support groups. Remember, by quitting smoking, you not only improve your cardiovascular health in the short term but also experience benefits like improved lung function and overall well-being.

4. Proactively manage stress

Mental stress has physical impacts. In fact, chronic stress can make PAD progression worse by raising your blood pressure, increasing inflammation, and promoting unhealthy lifestyle behaviors like poor diet and physical inactivity.

We recommend implementing stress management techniques to counter these negative effects in your daily life. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and mindfulness can all help you reduce stress levels, improve relaxation, and enhance your overall mental and emotional well-being.

If you have PAD, lifestyle changes are integral to managing and improving your overall vascular health — and we’re here to help. Schedule a consultation at Vascular & Interventional Specialists online or call our Miami, Florida, office at 305-230-4664 to start taking control of your health.