Vascular Disease | Baylor Scott & White Health

What is vascular disease?

Your vascular system is a vast network of blood vessels that includes arteries and veins and the small blood vessels that connect them, called capillaries. It stretches throughout your body ensuring a steady supply of blood gets to your tissues and organs. Vascular diseases can interrupt or halt this supply.

A variety of conditions can affect your vascular system. Treatment options, ranging from healthy lifestyle changes and medications to minimally invasive procedures and open vascular surgeries, are available to help your blood continue getting where it needs to go—and protect your heart, brain and other organs, as well as extremities like your arms and legs.

patient dealing with vascular disease massaging her leg

Understanding your vascular system

Your vascular system is a closed loop where the heart, after receiving oxygenated blood from the lungs, sends the blood to organs and tissues through arteries and capillaries. Deoxygenated blood returns to the heart, where it’s routed back to the lungs to pick up oxygen and start the process over again.

When blood leaves the heart, it enters smaller and smaller arteries until it reaches the capillaries. After delivering its important contents and picking up the cells’ waste, blood follows the opposite pattern—it enters progressively larger veins on its trip back to the heart.

Throughout your vascular system, blood flows in only one direction, which helps keep the system functioning smoothly and efficiently.

The vascular system has three main parts:

Arteries carry blood containing oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and other important ingredients to cells in your organs and tissues.
Capillaries deliver oxygen and other contents through their walls into the body’s cells. The cells send carbon dioxide and other waste products into the capillaries, which transfer these materials to the veins.
Veins take blood—now without oxygen but carrying waste materials—back to the heart. The heart sends blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs to restock with oxygen.

Types of vascular disease

Some vascular diseases affect your arteries, while others impact your veins. These diseases can also happen in certain parts of your body.

Peripheral artery disease

Like the arteries in your heart, the arteries outside your heart (peripheral arteries) can also develop disease. Over time, these arteries can become narrowed or blocked, which reduces blood flow to important areas of the body. This lack of blood flow is called ischemia, and it can damage tissues and organs if not treated.

Types of peripheral arterial disease include:

Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It happens when plaque made of fat, cholesterol, and other substances builds up inside the artery walls. When this narrowing affects arteries in the legs or arms, it can lead to PVD.
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD): Blockage in the arteries that can affect the legs, which can lead to gangrene and limb loss. PVD can affect all organ systems in the body.
Intestinal ischemic syndrome: Blockage in the arteries to the gastrointestinal system.
Renal artery disease: Blockage in the kidney arteries, potentially causing kidney failure.
Raynaud's phenomenon: Spasms in the small arteries of the fingers or toes triggered by cold or stress.

What causes vascular disease?

You can’t control certain vascular disease risk factors, such as getting older or having a family history of these diseases. You can, however, change or manage many other factors that increase your risk, including:

Diabetes
Excess body weight
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Lack of physical activity
Smoking

male patient dealing with vascular disease measuring his blood pressure

Vascular disease treatment

Many effective treatments are available for vascular diseases, and a skilled heart and vascular team can help determine the most appropriate one for you. In some cases, time is of the essence. If you have a stroke or a “mini stroke” (TIA), you need emergency treatment. With other vascular diseases, such as varicose veins or peripheral artery disease, you may have more time to plan treatment with your physician.

If you’re diagnosed with a form of vascular disease, don’t delay seeking treatment. Acting quickly can protect your health, mobility, independence and ability to enjoy your favorite activities. With the right experts providing guidance and support, you can manage vascular disease for a healthier future.

Treatments for vascular diseases include:

Lifestyle changes: Following a healthy eating plan, getting more exercise, quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight
Medications: For preventing blood clots or managing high blood pressure and other vascular disease risk factors
Vascular surgery: Minimally invasive procedures, such as angioplasty, or open surgeries, can restore blood flow in blocked blood vessels or repair or bypass damaged blood vessels

Find a location near you

You can access care for vascular diseases at our many locations in North and Central Texas. If you need a procedure or vascular surgery, we can coordinate your care at the location best suited to your needs.

Baylor Scott & White Cardiovascular Associates - Southwest Fort Worth

5701 Bryant Irvin Rd Ste 302, Fort Worth, TX, 76132

Baylor Scott & White Cardiovascular Associates - Southwest Fort Worth

5701 Bryant Irvin Rd Ste 302, Fort Worth, TX, 76132

What is vascular disease?

Understanding your vascular system

The vascular system has three main parts:

Types of vascular disease

Peripheral artery disease

What causes vascular disease?

Vascular disease treatment

Treatments for vascular diseases include:

Find a location near you

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