Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a vascular disorder that causes abnormal narrowing of arteries other than those that supply the heart or brain.[5][15] PAD can happen in any blood vessel, but it is more common in the legs than the arms.[16]
When narrowing occurs in the heart, it is called coronary artery disease (CAD), and in the brain, it is called cerebrovascular disease.[4] Peripheral artery disease most commonly affects the legs, but other arteries may also be involved, such as those of the arms, neck, or kidneys.[4][17]
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a form of peripheral vascular disease. Vascular refers to both the arteries and veins within the body. PAD differs from peripheral veinous disease. PAD means the arteries are narrowed or blocked—the vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood as it moves away from the heart to other parts of the body. Peripheral veinous disease, on the other hand, refers to problems with veins—the vessels that bring the blood back to the heart.[18]
It is unclear if screening for peripheral artery disease in people without symptoms is useful, as it has not been properly studied.[21][22][20] For those with intermittent claudication from PAD, stopping smoking and supervised exercise therapy may improve outcomes.[11][12] Medications, including statins, ACE inhibitors, and cilostazol, may also help.[12][23]Aspirin, which helps with thinning the blood and thus improving blood flow, does not appear to help those with mild disease but is usually recommended for those with more significant disease due to the increased risk of heart attacks.[20][24][25]Anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin show no definitive scientific evidence of benefit in PAD.[26] Surgical procedures used to treat PAD include bypass grafting, angioplasty, and atherectomy.[10]
In 2015, about 155 million people had PAD worldwide.[13] It becomes more common with age.[27] In the developed world, it affects about 5.3% of 45- to 50-year-olds and 18.6% of 85- to 90-year-olds.[7] In the developing world, it affects 4.6% of people between the ages of 45 and 50 and 15% of people between the ages of 85 and 90.[7] PAD in the developed world is equally common among men and women, though in the developing world, women are more commonly affected.[7] In 2015, PAD resulted in about 52,500 deaths, which is an increase from the 16,000 deaths in 1990.[14][28]
^ abc"What Is Peripheral Vascular Disease?"(PDF). American Heart Association (heart.org). 2012. Archived(PDF) from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the narrowing of the arteries to the legs, stomach, arms and head.
^ abcdeFowkes FG, Rudan D, Rudan I, Aboyans V, Denenberg JO, McDermott MM, et al. (October 2013). "Comparison of global estimates of prevalence and risk factors for peripheral artery disease in 2000 and 2010: a systematic review and analysis". Lancet. 382 (9901): 1329–1340. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)61249-0. PMID23915883. S2CID38652734.
^ abHarrison's principles of internal medicine (20 ed.). McGraw-Hill Education / Medical. 2018. ISBN9781259644047.
^ abcGerhard-Herman MD, Gornik HL, Barrett C, Barshes NR, Corriere MA, Drachman DE, et al. (March 2017). "2016 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Patients With Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines". Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 69 (11): 1465–1508. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2016.11.008. PMID27851991.
^Lin JS, Olson CM, Johnson ES, Whitlock EP (September 2013). "The ankle-brachial index for peripheral artery disease screening and cardiovascular disease prediction among asymptomatic adults: a systematic evidence review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force". Annals of Internal Medicine. 159 (5): 333–341. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-159-5-201309030-00007. PMID24026319. S2CID9350462.
^Poredos P, Jezovnik MK (March 2013). "Is aspirin still the drug of choice for management of patients with peripheral arterial disease?". VASA. Zeitschrift für Gefässkrankheiten. 42 (2): 88–95. doi:10.1024/0301-1526/a000251. PMID23485835.
^Hauk L (May 2012). "ACCF/AHA update peripheral artery disease management guideline". American Family Physician. 85 (10): 1000–1001. PMID22612053.
^Creager MA, Beckman JA, Loscalzo J (2013). Vascular medicine : a companion to Braunwald's heart disease (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. ISBN9781455737369. OCLC810335904.