Guide To The Causes Of Leg Ulcers

Heart Disease

A heart disease patient may develop leg ulcers as a complication of the disease's effects on their body. Heart disease refers to a condition where the arteries in an individual's body become hard and narrowed due to the buildup of a substance referred to as plaque. The blood vessels in healthy individuals have flexible walls and can accommodate the higher pressure and increased blood volume temporarily. However, patients who have developed heart disease due to the accumulation of plaque in their arteries have blood vessels that cannot compensate under challenging conditions.

Plaque buildup occurs when long-term high blood pressure has damaged the lining of the arteries. This allows cholesterol and other fatty substances to penetrate and calcify in the vessel. As more plaque accumulates, the total amount of space blood can pass through becomes progressively reduced. This mechanism causes a shortage of oxygenated blood in distant tissues of the body, such as the subcutaneous tissues of the legs and feet. Without an adequate blood supply in these tissues, the cells can necrotize and cause open ulcers to develop.

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol, a lipid, is a waxy substance the liver produces. Everyone needs it, since cholesterol helps form cell membranes, vitamin D, and some hormones. It travels on its own through blood. There are two main types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Although both forms of cholesterol are found in the body, if low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the unhealthy kind, is too high, patients are considered to have high cholesterol.

As many individuals know, high cholesterol is a major risk factor for many health conditions. One of these is the development of leg ulcers. Specifically, high cholesterol increases the risk of arterial ulcers. It does this because as the cholesterol builds in their arteries, they will often narrow and become blocked. Thus, other tissues will not receive enough nutrient-rich blood, causing the wound or ulcer to form.