Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
of the Legs
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+41 41 228 09 94
Arterial vascular diseases can affect all arteries of the body. Very often, arteriosclerosis, with a narrowing of the vessels, underlies these diseases. Such arteriosclerotic vascular constrictions occur more frequently in the coronary arteries, and in the pelvic and leg arteries.
Arteriosclerosis is caused by a build-up of plaques, which are deposits of blood lipids, blood clots, connective tissue, and lime on the inner walls of the vessels. These deposits cause local micro-inflammations, along with scarring and hardening, which narrows the arteries. As a result, less blood, which carries oxygen and nutrients, arrives into the body regions.
The risk of suffering from arteriosclerosis of the leg arteries depends on age, sex, genetic predisposition and other factors.
Minimise your risk factors, and slow down or stop the progression of this condition:
Quit smoking, reduce overweight, eat a healthy diet, exercise and do gait training: Take these issues to heart.
Blood pressure: Control measurement every three to five years for all men and women, beginning at age 18. Annually, in case of personal risk factors, such as severe obesity.
Cholesterol: Control measurements every five years for men between the ages of 35 and 65, for women between the ages of 45 and 65. For high-risk patients (e.g. cardiovascular diseases in the family), at least every five years beginning at age 20, or as recommended by the doctor.
Blood glucose: Every three years for men and women over the age of 45; for high-risk patients (e.g. diabetes in the family, high blood pressure, severe overweight), as recommended by the doctor.
For arteriosclerosis of the leg arteries, medication therapy and a modified lifestyle are central to reducing or stabilising risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes.
Your guides:
Your checklist:
Further information:
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the leg arteries, also known as peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), is colloquially referred to as “intermittent claudication”. Indeed, the persons affected have to make frequent stops after short walking distances because the reduced blood flow of the leg arteries causes pain and cramps in the calves, thighs and buttocks. As the disease progresses, pain also occurs when resting and at night, which can be particularly disruptive.
The disease proceeds for a long time without any discomfort. In Switzerland, it is estimated that about every fifth person over the age of 65 is affected. Only about half of these know about it. The early diagnosis and treatment of the disease is, therefore, of great importance.
The doctor should discuss these issues with you:
Adjust your lifestyle: Quit smoking, drink alcohol in moderation, reduce excess weight
Medicative treatment of hypertension, lowering cholesterol levels, and adjusting blood sugar levels with nutritional adaptation
Medication that impedes the blood platelet function in order to prevent clumping
Regular gait training: Three times a week or more for 30 to 45 minutes may reduce medication doses and delay vascular surgery.
Skin care: Observe and take care of your feet and legs every day. In the event of wounds, have professional wound care of the legs carried out by Spitex or a wound care specialist. Foot and nail care should be performed by a podiatrist.
Your guides:
Your checklists:
Further information:
Patients with arterial occlusive disease of the legs are also at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disorders elsewhere in the body (for example, heart attack and stroke).
In addition to continuing previous measures, such as nicotine withdrawal, medication or gait training, interventional (for example, with catheters, balloons and stents) and surgical (for example, removing a thrombus blocking a blood vessel, vascular bypasses) treatments are in the foreground. As a result, the blood flow in the leg arteries becomes continuous again and leg pain can be reduced.
Such measures should only be used for patients with severe discomfort or high levels of distress, or if the patient explicitly wishes to improve his/her symptoms and quality of life.
Do you need surgery?
CONCORDIA has commissioned the institute B,B,S. Economic Consultants in Basel to evaluate the treatments and operations occlusive disease of the leg arteries in all Swiss acute care hospitals – independently, neutrally, and according to statistical quality criteria.
The quality of inpatient treatment was assessed, along with the length of stay and the hospital costs.
During a personal conversation, we will show you, on the basis of the results, which hospitals throughout Switzerland have excelled over the years in the treatments and operations for peripheral artery disease of the legs in terms of quality and efficiency.
Use our consulting offer to find out which hospital is most suitable for your treatment.
Naturally, you still have the choice of when and where you would like to be treated, in line with your basic and supplementary insurances.
Personal consultation:
+41 41 228 09 94
Advice on hospital choice
Advice on a second opinion
Your guides:
Further information:
Adjusting your lifestyle: Quit smoking (tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 vascular-damaging chemical substances)
Medicative treatment of hypertension, lowering cholesterol levels, and adjusting blood sugar levels with nutritional adaptation
Medication that impedes the blood platelet function in order to prevent clumping
Regular gait training: 30 to 45 minutes, three times and more per week, alone or in a group, allow you, under certain circumstances, to reduce medication doses. This therefore also supports social contacts and your psychic health by preventing withdrawal and loneliness due to limited mobility.
Skin care: Observe and take care of your feet and legs every day. In the event of wounds, have professional wound care of the legs carried out by Spitex or a wound care specialist. Foot and nail care should be performed by a podiatrist.
In the event of amputations: prosthesis which fits perfectly, careful stump care
Living with a chronic illness requires very good self-management in order to be able to successfully master the various challenges in everyday life. concordiaCoach can support you in finding good solutions.
Your guides:
Further information:
Medication brochure
to print out (PDF)
(available in German and French)
Generic medicine: search function
(available in German, French and Italian)
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health:
Seasonal flu vaccination
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