Peripheral artery disease is often underdiagnosed in women

In women, peripheral artery disease is often undiagnosed, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Vascular surgeons Mabel Chan and Palma Shaw, as well as cardiologist Heather Gornick, warned about this dangerous condition in an interview with The Washington Post.

Gornik explained that the disease occurs when atherosclerotic plaque builds up in the arteries of the legs, impeding blood flow. She says the condition is often overlooked in women because they often don't have the condition's typical symptom of pain in the calf muscle that goes away with rest.

Chan noted that instead of pain, women may experience less obvious signs that are not paid attention to or not told to the doctor. “For women, it may be tiredness in the legs or some kind of numbness, burning, throbbing or shooting pain and weakness,” the doctor explained. She added that these signs can easily be mistaken for signs of aging or menopause.

However, Shaw emphasized that peripheral artery disease is a serious systemic disease. It is associated with a six-fold increase in the risk of heart attack and can increase the risk of stroke by two to three times.