PAD?

[Lydia1960]

Have noticed a heaviness and weakness in my legs, a sense that I can feel the ground very much when I walk. I'm just over 11 stone and 5ft 1ins, so obese, and haven't noticed these symptoms before until recently.

Had a private health ankle brachial index test in February and the result was a ratio of 1.33. Read online it should be between 1.0-1.44, indicating no blockage. 1.33 isn't so far from 1.44, so now worried.

Also a reading of 0.9. Again read that if a reading is 0.9 or less this indicates narrowing of the arteries in the legs. This worries me although the report suggested both these scores were acceptable? The report also said that the energy muscles and bones were all within standard range.

I do have atherosclerosis which can cause PAD, and am taking 75g aspirin for this. I have diabetes type 2 too, which my GP claims to be well controlled, which this test seems to contradict. Can anyone advise me on this...?

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Hi Lydia - sorry to hear about the problems you've been having with your legs. It's easier said than done, but try not to get too tied up in numbers and ranges as we can't just look at those in isolation, it's about the whole clinical picture.

A good starting point to help with your symptoms would be to have a look at your diet and physical activity levels and see if you can start to make some changes. This in turn could help to lose some weight and reduce the overall pressure on your legs. These links might be useful: bhf.org.uk/publications/hea...

bhf.org.uk/heart-health/pre...

You could also have a conversation with your GP about medication to help lower your cholesterol (even if it's normal) as this would help to control the atherosclerosis you have and help prevent it getting much worse. This is especially a risk for people with diabetes.

I hope this helps.

Take care,

Chris