Guide To The Causes And Risk Factors For Peripheral Vascular Disease

Diabetes

A diabetes patient may develop peripheral vascular disease as a complication of their disease. Diabetes is a metabolic disease where an individual's body is unable to make enough insulin or their body is not responsive to the insulin their body does produce. Insulin is a hormone required for the body to regulate its blood sugar levels. Individuals who have diabetes require careful management with medication, diet, and exercise to keep their blood sugar at a safe and homeostatic level. Individuals who have poorly managed diabetes develop long-term hypertension and are at a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. High blood sugar is known to cause inflammation around the body, and this can exacerbate any mild damage that has already been inflicted on the arteries that supply the legs with oxygenated blood. More inflammation causes fatty substances to calcify and harden at a faster rate in the affected arteries. The plaque that builds up as a result of this mechanism is what makes a diabetes patient at an increased risk of developing peripheral vascular disease.

Read more about the causes and risk factors linked to peripheral vascular disease now.