Recent Blog Articles

When replenishing fluids, does milk beat water?

Safe, joyful movement for people of all weights

Slowing down racing thoughts

Are women turning to cannabis for menopause symptom relief?

3 ways to create community and counter loneliness

Helping children make friends: What parents can do

Can electrical brain stimulation boost attention, memory, and more?

Palliative care frightens some people: Here’s how it helps

Parents don't always realize that their teen is suicidal

Shift work can harm sleep and health: What helps?
Diseases & Conditions
Recognizing a common cause of exercise-related leg pain
Peripheral artery disease is serious but preventable.
As people get older, they sometimes shrug off painful cramping in their calves when they walk as a sign of age or overexertion. But it can be a symptom of a more serious condition known as peripheral artery disease, or PAD.
PAD is a condition in which fatty deposits collect in arteries outside the heart — most commonly in the legs — and reduce blood flow in that part of the body. Doctors used to think PAD mostly affected men, but when researchers began to include more women in their studies, they learned that the condition is just as common in women, affecting one in every 10 women over age 50 and one in every five over age 60, says Dr. Aruna Pradhan, a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!