Multiple physician groups have based the new guidelines for care of peripheral arterial disease on current best practices, according to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, which jointly announced publication.

More than 12 million Americans suffer from peripheral arterial disease, prompting the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association to release the groundbreaking Peripheral Arterial Disease Guidelines to help physicians and other healthcare professionals better treat this alarmingly common condition.

The new Guidelines were developed in collaboration with and approved by the American Association for Vascular Surgery/Society for Vascular Surgery, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Interventional Radiology, Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology, and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.

“These Guidelines provide a concise diagnostic and treatment guidebook for patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease and for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses who are now offering care to treat them,” said Alan T. Hirsch, MD, FACC, chairman of the writing committee.

“Our important collaborations with our professional partners in SVMB, SIR, SVS and SCAI make these Guidelines more valuable to all practicing health professionals. We have provided access to the best available evidence that can guide best care. A key source of the power of these recommendations is that they are so broad-based in their origin from every vascular specialty, as they attempt to reach a broad-based audience of clinicians. Everyone can use these Guidelines and a large segment of the public can benefit from them.”

The Guidelines strongly emphasize the fact that early detection and treatment of peripheral arterial disease can prevent disability and save lives.

“We’re saying to physicians for the first time, ‘Don’t wait for the patient to complain to you about symptoms that they may not appreciate as hallmark signs of poor health. Ask specific questions to define high-risk groups, and initiate early therapy to maintain functional independence and decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death,’” said Dr. Hirsch, an associate professor of epidemiology, medicine, and radiology at the University of Minnesota and director of Abbott Northwestern’s Vascular Center in Minneapolis.

A driving force behind the Guidelines was recognition that a wide range of physicians treat peripheral arterial disease, and each brings a different set of tools and knowledge to the task, depending on background and training.

Indeed, the guidelines committee took a time-tested approach to analyzing thousands of scientific studies, giving the greatest weight to well-designed randomized clinical trials, but also taking into account smaller studies and expert opinion as needed.

First, there are recommended questions and observations that can uncover hidden signs of peripheral arterial disease. The guidelines then address clinical clues that a patient may have renal artery stenosis, a possible cause of poorly controlled high blood pressure or kidney failure.

There are also recommendations on when an aneurysm should be treated with surgery or catheter-based therapy, as well as when “watchful waiting” is the best course. The guidelines also include a critical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of vascular imaging tests and other diagnostic methods and emphasize therapeutic choice, including the role of exercise, diet, smoking cessation, and medications, as well as an objective review of the benefits and drawbacks of surgical and catheter-based therapies.

Finally, the guidelines include clinical pathways and treatment algorithms to guide clinical decision-making.

The Guidelines were also endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (National Institutes of Health); Society for Vascular Nursing; TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus; and the Vascular Disease Foundation.