Peripheral Vascular Disease

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) includes peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and venous disease. PAD is a chronic progressive atherosclerotic disease leading to partial or total peripheral vascular occlusion. PAD typically affects the abdominal aorta, iliac arteries, lower limbs, and occasionally the upper extremities. PAD affects nearly 200 million people worldwide with increasing global importance due to longer life expectancy and prolonged risk factor exposure. Patients with PAD have a variable disease presentation and course with some patients remaining asymptomatic and with others progressing to arterial ulceration, claudication, resting limb ischemia, and limb loss. PAD is a cardiovascular disease equivalent, with associated high risk fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events frequently occurring, such as myocardial infarction and stroke. PAD is a progressive, debilitating systemic disease that requires interprofessional involvement for improved patient outcomes.