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The diagnosis is usually made by the typical symptoms. A simple test that your doctor may do is to check the blood pressure in your ankle and compare this to the blood pressure in your arm. If the blood pressure in your ankle is much different to that in your arm then this usually means that one or more arteries going to your leg, or in your leg, are narrowed.

More sophisticated tests are not needed in most cases. They may be done if the diagnosis is in doubt, or if surgery is being considered (which is only in the minority of cases). For example, a CT scan, an MRI scan, or an ultrasound scan of the arteries can build up a 'map' of your arteries, and show where they are narrowed.

What is the outlook (prognosis) for peripheral arterial disease?

Studies that have followed-up people with PAD have shown that:

• Symptoms remain stable or improve in about 15 out of 20 cases.
• Symptoms gradually become worse in about 4 out of 20 cases.
• Symptoms become severe in about 1 out of 20 cases.

So, in most cases, the outlook for the legs is quite good. However, if you have PAD it means that you have an increased risk of developing atheroma in other arteries. Therefore, you have a higher than average risk of developing heart disease (such as angina or a heart attack), or of having a stroke. The main concern for most people with PAD is not that they might need an amputation - but the increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

The chance of developing severe PAD (and heart disease, or a stroke) is much reduced by the self help measures and treatments described below.

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