Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)

What PVD can mean

PVD can be used to describe arterial disease, venous disease, or both, depending on who is speaking. Because the phrase is broad, it is important to ask which vessels a physician is referring to.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the name more often used when the concern is narrowed arteries, usually in the legs. Vein problems such as varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis are different conditions.

Why the distinction matters

Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Veins return blood toward the heart. Problems in those systems can share some symptoms, such as leg discomfort, but they are not evaluated or managed in the same way.

A cardiovascular evaluation can help sort whether arterial disease, venous disease, a heart rhythm issue, or another cause may be contributing. This page cannot make that determination.

Related conditions on this website

For arterial disease of the limbs, see the PAD page. For enlarged surface veins, see varicose veins. For a clot in a deep vein, see deep vein thrombosis. For more advanced arterial compromise, see limb ischemia.

A separate page explains symptoms that may warrant a vascular evaluation without treating those symptoms as a diagnosis.

Outside reading about arterial disease

There is not a single widely used patient-education page titled only “PVD” that is distinct from PAD. The Learn more link on this page goes to MedlinePlus education about peripheral arterial disease, which is the arterial condition most often discussed alongside the PVD label.

Venous education is linked from the varicose veins and DVT pages.

When to contact a physician

Call the office if another physician used the term PVD or PAD and you have questions about evaluation in Reseda. Call 911 for emergency symptoms, including sudden chest pain, trouble breathing, or a suddenly cold, pale, or painful limb.