Little-known condition affecting your legs that is a symptom of silent killer

25 July 2023 , 21:57

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Little-known condition affecting your legs that is a symptom of silent killer

People are being warned of a lesser known symptom of coronary disease that affects people’s legs and could mean they have up to "five times" greater chance of having a heart attack.

Heart disease is a major cause of death in the UK and it happens when the heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a buildup of fatty substances in the coronary arteries. Some symptoms are commonly known such as pressure, aching or a squeezing feel on the chest.

Often the pain covers the arms, neck and back while moving in waves with it starting mildly and then worsening. There are currently around 11% of men and 9% of women who have been diagnosed with some sort of heart condition and one lesser known symptom is leg pain.

This can be a “gripping” or “cramping” feeling in the legs said David Newby, BHF John Wheatley Professor of Cardiology at the BHF Centre of Research Excellence at the University of Edinburgh.

“If you get a gripping, cramping sensation in your calves when you are walking, it might be worth seeing your doctor, as that can be a marker of PAD (peripheral arterial disease). It’s most common in smokers and people who have diabetes,” he said.

Surprising symptom that 40% of women suffer weeks before a heart attack

PAD can affect the same people as heart attacks and strokes, and the worst cases can be life-threatening. It happens when fatty deposits buildup in arteries and usually affects the legs making it painful to walk and can lead to gangrene and even amputation in severe cases.

“People are at an increased risk as they age. About one in five people over 60 in the UK have some degree of PAD,” heart specialist Patrick Coughlin told the British Heart Foundation.

“The same things that raise your risk of heart disease and stroke – including smoking, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure – also raise your risk of PAD. In particular, we are seeing a rise in PAD as a result of increased cases of diabetes. It affects both men and women and sometimes it can run in families.”

And importantly if someone has PAD then they are a lot more likely to have a heart attack. Mr Coughlin said: "If you have intermittent claudication (limping or pain when you walk), your risk of heart attack is three to five times higher than normal.

"So we would start by trying to reduce your heart attack risk, for example by stopping smoking, testing for (and treating) high blood pressure and diabetes, and taking a blood thinner (such as aspirin) and a statin."

Tim Hanlon