Heart attack: taking leg pain seriously!

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Pain in the legs can be a warning sign of an impending heart attack or stroke. The reason is often narrowed arteries.

You can first feel it when you walk: In peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD), the arteries in the pelvis and legs are narrowed. The undersupply of the muscles then causes pain, usually in the calves. They repeatedly force the person affected to stop. That is why the phenomenon is also called "intermittent claudication".

Congestion in the bloodstream

Usually, however, these are not the only bottlenecks in the body's vascular network: atherosclerosis, in which plaques are deposited on the inner walls of the arteries, can occur anywhere in the body. It becomes particularly dangerous when the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients, are affected. If they close completely, the patient will suffer a heart attack. If the bottleneck is in the supply of the brain, there is a risk of a stroke.

Pain in toes when lying down

"PAD is associated with a high risk of heart attack and stroke," warns Prof. Dietrich Andresen, chairman of the board of the German Heart Foundation. “Anyone who notices the first signs of intermittent claudication should therefore consult a doctor as soon as possible.” Pain that occurs in the toe region when lying down should also be clarified at an early stage. PAD is particularly likely if the symptoms improve as soon as you get up.

Simple clarification

PAD can be easily diagnosed with the help of a simple test: the doctor feels the pulse in the groin and on the foot and measures the blood pressure in the ankle and toe arteries. If the pulse is weakened or even absent completely, "PAD" is present. The extent of the vascular disease can then be determined using ultrasound.

Lifestyle changes and medication protect against

Countermeasures can then be taken: Lifestyle changes, such as a healthy heart diet and more exercise, but also taking blood lipid medication and blood pressure medication. This prevents arteriosclerosis from progressing quickly. If the symptoms in the legs do not improve, normal blood flow can be restored with a catheter.

If left untreated, the condition of patients with PAD worsens. First the pain also occurs at rest. In the late stages, open ulcers form on the legs. If treated in good time, such a dramatic course can often be prevented. And the risk of heart attacks and strokes also decreases.

Peripheral arterial disease is not uncommon: in a US study, it was found in almost six percent of people over 40 years of age. In people over 60 or over 50 with known risk factors for arteriosclerosis (e.g. smokers, diabetics, high blood pressure patients) even 40 percent are affected. However, 50 to 60 percent of those affected do not feel any of it.

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