There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the adult human body – arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart, while veins return oxygen-poor blood back to the heart. Vascular disease includes any condition that affects this system, some of which are highly treatable (often without surgery) while others can cause severe disability and even death.
The cause of a vascular disease depends on the specific disease. While sometimes the cause is unknown, it oftentimes includes:
Risk factors for vascular diseases can also vary depending on the specific disease. But some of the more common risk factors include:
Three vascular diseases – heart attacks, strokes and peripheral arterial disease – are among the main causes of illness and death in the U.S.. Summa Health vascular surgeons treat these and other vascular conditions, such as:
If you have concerns about vascular disease, take the Summa Health Vascular Disease Risk Assessment. Then talk to your primary care physician about referring you to a Summa Health vascular surgeon.
