What smokers might not realize is smoking causes hardening of the arteries in the legs—a life-threatening condition known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD). PVD is caused by atherosclerosis, which is often due to smoking. The hardened arteries restri

Newswise - If you’re making a list of New Year’s resolutions, and quitting smoking is one of them, there’s now one more reason to stop. Everyone knows that smoking causes cancer. What smokers might not realize is it also causes hardening of the arteries in the legs a life-threatening condition known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD). PVD is caused by atherosclerosis, which is often due to smoking. The hardened arteries restrict blood flow to the legs, which can lead to debilitating leg pain while walking that subsides when you stop. This pain associated with PVD is an early warning sign of blocked arteries throughout the body that can result in stroke or heart attack. PVD can also lead to gangrene or amputation. Diagnosis is simple for the 10 million Americans suffering from PVD. Physicians can perform a pain-free screening known as an ankle brachial index (ABI) which compares the blood pressure in the arm to that in the ankle. Those at risk can also be diagnosed with an X-ray that highlights blocked arteries. To deliver treatment directly to the site of the blockage in the leg, an interventional radiologist uses X-ray images to guide them through the blood vessels inside the body. Angioplasty and stents are nonsurgical techniques interventional radiologists pioneered more than 30 years ago to treat PVD. This feed includes a package with bites from an interventional radiologist and his patient—a lifelong smoker who quit due to a life-threatening PVD diagnosis. B-roll footage includes a physician conducting an ABI, a PVD procedure and a patient. This feed is provided by the Society of Interventional Radiology for your free and unrestricted use. Interventional radiologists are board certified doctors who use X-rays, MRI’s, and other imaging devices to deliver treatment directly to the source of the disease using tiny instruments they guide through the body’s blood vessels or through the skin. These nonsurgical procedures offer less risk, less pain and shorter recovery times compared to surgery.

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