Health disparities in PAD associated with poor limb and cardiovascular outcomes<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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MONDAY, May 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) — In a clinical practice guideline issued by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and nine other medical societies, updated recommendations are presented for the management of lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). The guideline was published online May 14 simultaneously in Circulation <\/em>and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Heather L. Gornik, M.D., from the University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute in Cleveland, and colleagues note that PAD is a common cardiovascular disease associated with the risk for amputation, myocardial infraction, stroke, and death. Four clinical subsets of PAD were defined: asymptomatic PAD, chronic symptomatic PAD, chronic limb-threatening ischemia, and acute limb ischemia. In most patients, PAD is detected through history, physical examination, and resting ankle-brachial index. Health disparities can lead to poor limb and cardiovascular outcomes, which should be addressed at the individual patient and population level. <\/p>\n For patients with PAD, the researchers recommend effective medical therapies should be prescribed to prevent major adverse cardiovascular events and major adverse limb events; these include antiplatelet and antithrombotic therapy, lipid-lowering and antihypertensive therapy, diabetes management, and smoking cessation. For people not at increased risk for bleeding, rivaroxaban plus low-dose aspirin is effective. Structured exercise is a core component of PAD care. For patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia, revascularization should be used to prevent limb loss; this can also improve quality of life and functional status in patients with claudication not responsive to medical therapy and structured exercise.<\/p>\n “It’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of PAD and move quickly to initiate treatment to improve outcomes and reduce risks,” Gornik said in a statement.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries.<\/p>\n