Commentary

Peripheral arterial disease: A high risk – but neglected – disease population

Joseph Tomson and Gregory YH Lip

University Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham B18 7QH, England, UK

author email corresponding author email

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders 2005, 5:15doi:10.1186/1471-2261-5-15

Published:	22 June 2005

Abstract

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common, progressive manifestation of atherothrombotic vascular disease, which should be managed no different to cardiac disease. Indeed, there is growing evidence that PAD patients are a high risk group, although still relatively under-detected and under treated. This is despite the fact that PAD patients are an increased mortality rate comparable to those with pre-existing or established cardiovascular disease [myocardial infarction, stroke]. With a holistic approach to atherothrombotic vascular disease, our management of PAD can only get better.