By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine

I try to stay healthy and practice what I preach, but sometimes – no matter how hard a person tries – things happen.

I had to remind myself of that recently when I was diagnosed with a form of atherosclerosis called peripheral artery disease (PAD). I suppose I shouldn’t have been that surprised – cardiovascular disease runs in my family, on both sides!

Warning Signs

I guess I should feel lucky. After all, atherosclerosis normally doesn’t have any symptoms – until it’s too late. PAD, on the other hand, can definitely let you know that something is wrong.

Peripheral artery disease is a common circulatory problem in which plaque narrows your arteries and reduces blood flow to your limbs – usually the legs. This can cause acute leg pain known as intermittent claudication (IC).

Intermittent claudication is characterized by muscle pain or cramping in your legs (or occasionally your arms) that’s triggered by activity, such as walking. The pain disappears after a few minutes of rest. The location of the pain depends on the location of the clogged or narrowed artery. Calf pain is most common, but for me, it was in the thighs.

The severity of IC varies widely, from mild discomfort to debilitating pain. Severe PAD can make it hard for you to walk or do other types of physical activity. The problem is, most people aren’t aware of PAD – so they ignore the discomfort of just chalk it up to aging. But, ignoring this potentially devastating condition is the worst thing you can do. PAD is also likely to be a sign of widespread atherosclerosis – which means that there might also be reduced blood flow to your heart and brain, as well as your legs.

Risky Business

While I am genetically predisposed to some type of arterial disease, there are other risk factors that can increase a person’s chances of developing PAD. People over age 50 have an increased risk of developing the disease – and men have a greater risk than women. Unfortunately, there isn’t a darned thing you can do about these. But there are a lot of factors that are in your control.

Other factors that increase your chances of developing the disease include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, high homocysteine levels and being overweight. These are all risk factors you can do something about with diet, exercise and supplements.

If you smoke or have a combination of any of these risk factors, have your doctor schedule an ankle-brachial index, which compares the blood pressure in your arms and legs. Why? Because you may not feel any symptoms at first. Even if you do, they are easy to ignore.

The most common early symptom is intermittent claudication – discomfort or pain in your legs that happens when you walk and goes away when you rest. You may not always feel pain; instead you may feel a tightness, heaviness, cramping, or weakness in your leg with activity, especially if you walk uphill or up a flight of stairs.

Like me, about 50 percent of people with PAD have blockages severe enough to experience IC. But even if you experience only occasional discomfort, get it checked out, since ignoring it can lead to gangrene and even amputation. It can also give you advanced warning that you may have a blood clot.

Get a Leg Up

Unless you have severe PAD, lifestyle changes and supplements may be enough to ease symptoms and possibly even reverse plaque build-up. A diet high in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, pastas), fresh fruits, vegetables and fiber – and low in salt, animal fats and refined sugar – is healthy for nearly everyone. But it’s especially important if you have PAD.

Taking supplemental garlic improves the elasticity of blood vessel walls. Garlic also reduces cholesterol and acts like a natural blood thinner. Best of all, garlic supplements reduce the size of plaque deposits by nearly 50 percent. In a four-year study of 152 cardiac patients, a daily dose of 900 mg. significantly slowed the development of atherosclerosis. While this is great news for anyone with clogged arteries, it’s especially good it you’ve been diagnosed with PAD.

The heart-healthy benefits of garlic are due, in large part, to a compound called allicin. This sulfur-rich substance is activated when the clove is crushed and allowed to sit for about 10 minutes. Allicin is then further broken down to a compound called ajoene, which may be the substance that inhibits blockage in blood vessels from clots and atherosclerosis.

Then there’s ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo helps improve circulation, making it a perfect fit for people with PAD. In one double-blind study, 111 people with PAD were given either ginkgo or a placebo for 24 weeks. By the end of the study, those taking the herb were able to walk significantly farther without pain than those taking the placebo. Typically, people with PAD take a total of 240 mg. of ginkgo daily in divided doses. However, if you are taking blood thinners, avoid taking ginkgo.

One Last Thing …

Although it seems counter-intuitive, walking for 30 minutes at least three times per week actually helps PAD. I know it has helped me. Yes it hurts, but there are a couple of tricks to make it less painful. First, invest in a pair of shoes designed for walking. They don’t need to cost a fortune, but when you try them on, walk around the store a while to make sure they feel good and are the right size. You might also find that walking on a treadmill is considerably easier on your legs than walking on pavement. Walk to some upbeat tunes or your favorite TV show to take your mind off your legs. You will probably be pleasantly surprised to discover that you can walk for longer than you thought.

In more severe cases of peripheral artery disease, lifestyle changes and medication may not be enough to improve your symptoms. Also, if your disease has advanced, your physician may recommend surgical or minimally invasive treatments. The choice of the treatment depends upon the pattern and extent of the blockages as well as other factors, like your general health and the presence of other medical conditions. Your vascular surgeon will help you determine which is the best option for your particular situation.

So if you have trouble keeping up with others when you walk, or you experience any type of leg discomfort, check with your doctor. Catching PAD in its early stages may help you avoid surgery and allow you to manage the condition naturally with diet, exercise and supplements.

This Just in …

It’s no secret that exercise can prevent all kinds of disease – and keep you looking and feeling your best. But if you push yourself too hard, you could be subjecting yourself to exercise stress.

In a recent double-blind crossover study of 10 men, researchers found that taking a phosphatidylserin (PS) supplement protected against exercise-induced stress and physical wear and tear. The participants took either 600 mg. of PS or a placebo for 10 days and then engaged in moderate exercise. The men taking PS showed lower concentrations of cortisol – the stress hormone – in their blood after working out.

So if you sometimes overdo it or have a tendency to be a weekend warrior, try taking PS. Need more incentive? PS also boosts cognition, so you can be both bright and buff!

References:

Bordia A, et al. “Effect of Garlic on Platelet Aggregation in Humans: A study in Healthy Subjects and Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.” Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. 1996;55:201-205.

Carlon R, Olivieri A, Benacchio L, et al. “Short and medium term functional capacity after single cycle of controlled physical training in subjects with claudication.” Monaldi Archives of Chest Disease. 2008;70:76-83.

Peters H, Kieser M, Hölscher U. “Demonstration of the efficacy of ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761 on intermittent claudication – a placebo-controlled, double-blind multicenter trial.” Vasa. 1998;27:106-110.

Pittler MH, Ernst E. “Complementary therapies for peripheral arterial disease: systematic review.” Atherosclerosis. 2005;181:1-7.

Starks MA, Starks SL, Kingsley M, et al. “The effects of phosphatidylserine on endocrine response to moderate intensity exercise.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:11.

Zahid AM, Hussain ME, Fahim M. “Antiatherosclerotic effects of dietary supplementations of garlic and turmeric: Restoration of endothelial function in rats.” Life Science. 2005;77:837-857.