The Importance of Increasing Public and Physician Awareness of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Gary J Becker,Tricia E Mcclenny,Margaret E Kovacs,Rodney D Raabe,Barry T Katzen

doi:10.1016/s1051-0443(07)60002-5

Gary J Becker, Tricia E Mcclenny + Show 3 more

https://doi.org/10.1016/s1051-0443(07)60002-5

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PERIPHERAL vascular disease (PVD), also known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), affects 12%–20% of Americans aged 65 years and older ( 1 Becker GJ Kovacs ME Katzen BT et al. Awareness, diagnosis and management of peripheral arterial disease (PVD) and deep vein thrombosis among primary care physicians. Circulation. 1999; : I-673 Google Scholar ). (Because of an agreement on nomenclature reached by the 14 specialty societies participating in the TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus ( 2 Dormandy JA Rutherford RB Bakal C et al. Management of peripheral arterial disease (PAD): TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC). J Vasc Surg. 2000; 31 (S1–S296): 1A-26A Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Google Scholar ) on lower extremity peripheral arterial disease, we will adhere to the accepted abbreviation—PAD—throughout the remainder of this opinion.) Because the United States' population is nearly 300 million, including 12.6% who are aged 65 years or older, between 4.5 and 7.6 million people in this age group alone (and as many as 10 million overall) have PAD ( 3 Weitz JI Byrne J Clagett GP et al. Diagnosis and treatment of chronic arterial insufficiency of the lower extremities: a critical review. Circulation. 1996; 94: 3026-3049 Crossref PubMed Scopus (741) Google Scholar , 4 Foot DK Lewis RP Pearson TA Beller GA Demographics and cardiology, 1950–2050. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000; 35: 1067-1081 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (93) Google Scholar ). As members of the “baby boomer” generation reach the age of 65 during the years 2011–2030, the percentage of the population older than 65 years of age will reach 20%; by the year 2050, it will still be 20%. By then, the U.S. population will be nearly 400 million. If we make no assumptions other than a stable incidence of disease, the number of patients with PAD will have increased to 9.6–16 million among those aged 65 and older, and as many as 19 million overall ( 4 Foot DK Lewis RP Pearson TA Beller GA Demographics and cardiology, 1950–2050. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000; 35: 1067-1081 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (93) Google Scholar ).

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