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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffThe most common cause of peripheral artery disease is atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, fatty deposits (plaques) build up in your artery walls and reduce blood flow.
Although the heart is usually the focus of discussion of atherosclerosis, the disease can and usually does affect arteries throughout your body. When it occurs in the arteries supplying blood to your limbs, it causes peripheral artery disease.
Less commonly, the cause of PAD may be blood clots in your arteries, injury to your limbs, unusual anatomy of your ligaments or muscles, or infection.
