17 - PAD Flashcards
What is involved in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis?
- Endothelial damage/dysfunction
- Local inflammation
- Accumulation & oxidation of lipids
- Smooth muscle cell proliferation
- Cellular apoptosis, necrosis, fibrosis
When does a person start forming plaques in their arteries?
Entire life
Histologic classification & progression of atherosclerotic plaques
Early (childhood & early adulthood; usually clinically silent)
- Stage 1 = initial lesion; small amounts of intracellular lipid deposits
- Stage 2 = fatty streak; larger amounts of intracellular lipid deposits
- Stage 3 = intermediate lesion; small extracellular lipid pools
Late (middle age & later; may be clinically silent or overt)
- Stage 4 = atheroma (lipid core); extracellular lipid core
- Stage 5 = fibroatheroma; lipid core & fibrotic changes
- Stage 6 = complex plaque; surface defects (ulcerations, hemorrhage, thrombosis)
Atherosclerosis in pt-friendly language
- Many people build “plaques” in the arteries
- Plaques are like a layer of wax on inside of blood vessels
- Many reasons for building plaques, like genetics & aging (not just how much cholesterol is in your blood)
- Blood contains something that acts like glue (is naturally sticky) & sticks to anything that doesn’t look like the normal inside of a blood vessel
- Sometimes plaque can form something like a pimple, & sometimes these plaques can burst, causing blood to stick to that area & the blood vessel can become blocked
- Everything that gets blood from that blocked vessel becomes starved for blood & oxygen & starts to die
- Sometimes this happens more slowly & can lead to stable narrowings in an artery that can limit blood flow & cause problems
Manifestations of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)
- Cerebrovascular disease (carotid artery stenosis, transient ischemic attacks, ischemic stroke)
- Coronary artery disease (stable and/or unstable)
- Aortic atherosclerosis (thromboembolism, cholesterol embolization, aortic aneurism)
- Renovascular disease (“renal artery stenosis” – chronic kidney disease, hypertension)
- Peripheral artery disease (intermittent claudication, acute & critical limb ischemia)
Risk factors for ASCVD (non-modifiable)
- Age (incidence of clinical disease rises sharply w/ increasing age, especially following middle age)
- Sex (men > women b/c of hormonal effects in women)
- Genetics/hereditary
Risk factors for ASCVD (modifiable)
- Smoking (single most significant modifiable risk factor; accelerates all stages of atherosclerosis)
- Dyslipidemia (linear correlation w/ CV risk)
- Insulin resistance, diabetes (advanced glycation end products, inflammation)
- Hypertension (arterial stress, especially impactful in heart & brain)
- Chronic kidney disease (specifically progression of CKD)
- Diet (prefer controlled caloric intake – whole grains, nuts & seeds, vegetables & fruits, fatty fish, etc.)
- Inactivity
- Adiposity (especially visceral fat; apples vs. pears)
- Inflammation
- Depression (80% increased risk of CVD & CV death w/ depression; relationship is bi-direction)
- Drugs (various mechanisms; ex: chronic NSAID use)
Peripheral artery disease
- Atherosclerotic disease leading to partial or complete obstruction of one or more peripheral arteries
- May affect arms, pelvis, or legs
- Signs & sx vary from none to severe
- Incidence increases sharply w/ age
Manifestations of PAD
- Asymptomatic (most patients)
- Atypical leg sx
- Intermittent claudication (IC)
- Acute limb ischemia (ALI)
- Critical limb ischemia (CLI)
Atypical leg sx of PAD
- May include non-joint-related pain or discomfort that:
- Doesn’t stop an individual from walking
- Begins w/ exertion but is not alleviated w/in 10 minutes of rest
- Begins at rest but worsens w/ exertion
- Px w/ atypical sx, or who are asymptomatic, have functional impairment comparable to px w/ claudication
Intermittent claudication
- Fatigue, discomfort, cramping, and/or pain of vascular origin in muscles of lower extremities
- Consistently induced by exercise
- Consistently relieved by rest (w/in 10 min)
Acute limb ischemia (ALI)
- Acute (< 2-week duration), severe hypoperfusion of a limb, characterized the 6 P’s
- Pain (at rest; will diminish over time as nerves die)
- Pallor
- Pulselessness
- Poikilothermia (“perishing cold”; limb will be cool to the touch)
- Paresthesias (tingling or pricking)
- Paralysis
- Skeletal muscle may tolerate severe ischemia for only 4-6 hours before muscle necrosis
- May be related to underlying PAD or may be related to other conditions that can result in ALI through either thrombotic or embolic mechanisms
- Medical emergency
Stage 1 of ALI
- Limb viable
- No sensory loss or muscle weakness
- Venous & arterial audible on Doppler
Stage 2a of ALI
- Limb marginally threatened
- Minimal (toes) sensory loss
- No muscle weakness
- Venous audible & arterial inaudible on Doppler
Stage 2b of ALI
- Limb immediately threatened
- Sensory loss, worse distally
- Mild-moderate muscle weakness
- Venous audible & arterial inaudible on Doppler