This is known as claudication (from the Latin for “to limp”).
Atherosclerosis can block leg arteries, particularly in smokers, before CHD is diagnosed.
This symptom requires an evaluation without delay.
Your doctor will examine the pulses in your legs and perform simple measurements of leg blood pressure and blood flow to confirm a diagnosis of poor circulation.
It is critical that heart disease be diagnosed as early as possible because there are many dietary and medical treatments that can help reverse the issue.
Some of my patients took these early clues to heart. I advised them to eat more plant-based foods and fewer animal products and to start a walking program.
Their calf pain completely resolved within weeks and has not recurred for years.
Anyone with any of the above signs of silent CHD should know his or her numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose). Ask your doctor if you should be checked for heart disease with an EKG, a coronary calcium CT imaging, or an exercise stress testing.
To borrow from Ben Franklin, an ounce of prevention (plus a bowl of kale) is worth a pound of cure.
High blood pressure damages your blood vessels, heart and eyes while also increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and kidney disease.
These tips will help to lower high blood pressure, or keep it from rising if it’s at a healthy level.