Peripheral Artery Disease in the Elderly: Prevalence, Clinical Implications, and Therapy

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a progressive atherosclerotic occlusive disease associated with aging that affects 8 million Americans. Approximately 20% of Americans older than 70 years of age are affected by PAD. This disease is associated with increased morbidity, reduced quality of life and functional capacity, and premature mortality. Treatment of PAD includes pharmacologic and therapeutic lifestyle changes to improve functional capacity and to modify cardiovascular disease risk factors such as smoking cessation, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Despite tremendous advances in our understanding of PAD and its associated outcomes, PAD remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Further research is needed to fully understand the pathophysiology of PAD and to optimize recognition and treatment of PAD in older patients.