What is Takayasu Arteritis (TAK)

Takayasu arteritis is a rare condition that may also be called pulseless disease. TAK causes inflammation in the large blood vessels (vasculitis). It mainly affects:

• The aorta. This is a large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
• The large blood vessels that branch off from the aorta.

Areas of the aorta or other affected blood vessels can become narrowed, blocked, or weakened because of the inflammation. This causes reduced blood flow to important body organs, which can be life-threatening. These vessels supply blood that carries oxygen to other parts of the body including the arms, legs, and head. Less blood flow and loss of oxygen to these areas may cause other symptoms. Weakened vessels may stretch and bulge out (aneurysm). This may cause the vessel to break open (rupture) or cause heart valves to not work properly (dysfunction).

What are the other names for Takayasu Arteritis?

Pulseless disease, aortic arch syndrome, and occlusive thromboaortopathy.

What are the causes?

The cause of this condition is not known. It may be caused by an autoimmune disorder in which your body’s defense system (immune system) attacks itself.

What increases the risk?

The following factors may make you more likely to develop this condition:

• Being female.
• Being of Asian or Indian descent.
• Being age 15–40.

What are the symptoms of Takayasu Arteritis?

Symptoms of this condition depend upon which blood vessels are affected. Symptoms may include:

• Fever.
• Fatigue or feeling tired.
• Unintentional weight loss.
• Poor appetite.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Pain in the abdomen, especially after eating.
• Arm and leg pain, especially during physical activity.
• Joint pain or general muscle weakness.
• High blood pressure.
• Dizziness.
• Light-headedness or fainting.
• Chest pain, especially during physical activity.
• Night sweats.

Severe symptoms of this condition include:

• Heart attack.
• Stroke.

You also may not have any symptoms.

How is Takayasu Arteritis diagnosed?

This condition may be diagnosed by:

• Medical history.
• Physical exam.
• Tests, including:
  • Blood tests.
  • Chest X-ray.
  • CT angiogram (CTA).
  • Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA).
  • Doppler ultrasound.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG).
  • Angiogram.
  • PET scan.

How is Takayasu Arteritis treated?

This condition is treated with:

• Medicines, such as:
  • Steroids. These reduce inflammation.
  • Immunosuppressants. These prevent your immune system from attacking your normal body tissues.
• Procedures, such as:
  • Angioplasty. This widens a narrowed or blocked blood vessel.
  • Stent placement. This helps to keep a narrowed blood vessel open.
  • Bypass graft. This allows blood to flow around the blocked vessel.

You may need to be treated by one or more specialists, such as a rheumatologist, cardiologist, or vascular surgeon.

TAK is a long-lasting (chronic) disease. The disease can come back after treatment, and you may or may not have symptoms if it returns. Your health care provider may test for TAK as part of your routine follow-up care.

Follow these instructions at home:

Lifestyle

• Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink per day for non-pregnant women and 2 drinks per day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Maintain a healthy weight and eat a heart-healthy diet. Ask your health care provider for advice about healthy eating options.
• Get regular exercise as told by your health care provider. Ask your health care provider what kind of exercises are safe for you.

General instructions

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your chest pain gets worse.
• You develop new symptoms.
• Your symptoms get worse.

Get help right away if:

• You have trouble breathing.
• You have severe chest pain.
• You have sudden weakness or numbness in your arms, legs, or face, especially on one side of your body.
• You have slurred speech or have trouble speaking.
• You have difficulty walking, or you lose your balance.
• You have trouble seeing or hearing.
• You have a severe headache.
• You have shortness of breath.

These symptoms may represent a serious problem that is an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.). Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Summary

• TAK is a rare condition that may also be called pulseless disease.
• The cause of this condition is not known. It may be caused by an autoimmune disorder in which your body’s defense system (immune system) attacks itself.
• TAK may not cause any symptoms, or it can cause severe symptoms that could be life-threatening.
• TAK is a chronic disease that can return even after treatment. You may or may not have symptoms if it returns.