Leg cramps - Please don't ignore them!

Do you experience any of the following?

• Routine leg pain/cramping during exercise
• Pain in legs that disturbs sleep
• Paleness or blueness in one or both feet

If so, you should have your physician do a simple blood pressure test called the ankle brachial index to see if you have peripheral artery disease(PAD). Studies show that only half of people with PAD realize they have it. Like the more serious coronary artery disease, PAD is an accumulation of plaque in the arteries. However in PAD, the blockages occur in the legs and arms. People with PAD have a 20% chance of dying in the next 10 years.

The good news is that an exercise and dietary program may be able to reduce or eliminate the leg pain symptoms. One study showed exercise is actually a more successful treatment than angioplasty and as beneficial as medication or bypass surgery in treatment of PAD. Furthermore, another researcher demonstrated a reversal of arteriosclerosis with a very low-fat diet.

You are at greatest risk of having PAD if you smoke, have high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol or you are over 65 years old. If you have two or more of these risk factors, speak with your health care provider. Contact Better Living if you would like to start a program to treat your PAD.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_artery_disease