When it comes to managing your health, it’s important to fully understand your condition. It can sometimes be confusing when doctors use terms interchangeably without disclosing what they mean.

There are subtle differences between the terms, PAD and PVD.  Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) afflicts the arteries alone while peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a broader term which includes any blood vessel including, veins and lymphatic vessels.  Both are progressive disorders that narrow or block blood vessels, limiting the amount of oxygen and nutrients circulating in your body. PVD doesn’t have tissue damage on the structure of the vessel, where PAD does. This tissue damage on the walls of the arteries is caused by the accumulation of fat. These blockages can cause major health concerns if they break off and travel to another part of the body. Floating plaque can cause DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in the iliac veins, or travel up towards the brain causing a stroke. Plaque buildup in the arteries is caused by increased LDL (low-density lipoproteins, also known as “bad cholesterol”) which can cause cells to stop processing this fat, allowing it to accumulate in the bloodstream.