Guide To The Causes And Risk Factors For Peripheral Vascular Disease

High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is defined as the force of the blood against the blood vessel walls as it is moving through them. High blood pressure over an extended duration can cause the blood vessels to incur damage, and thus, an individual with high blood pressure is at an increased risk of developing peripheral vascular disease. When blood vessels incur damage to their lining or endothelium, they become more penetrable and allow cholesterol and other fatty substances to enter into the affected individual's bloodstream. The entry of the fatty substances into the blood vessel walls triggers the immune system, which sends an influx of immune components to the site where the fatty substances have entered the vessel walls and cause further collection and calcification of these substances. The plaque sticks to the endothelium throughout the blood vessels with the help of the inflammatory response of the body, ultimately resulting in atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can move into the arteries that supply the limbs, which is how peripheral vascular disease develops.

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