Diagnosis and Treatment of Arterial Diseases: New Guidelines

Statistics show that more than 12 million Americans suffer from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). The  American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have different guidelines related to PAD to help doctors and healthcare professionals treat this common condition in a much better way. 

Peripheral Arterial Disease is a serious condition resulting in amputation of the extremities, severe high blood pressure, kidney failure and rupture of an aortic aneurysm in some cases. Not only this, it can also cause a heart attack, a stroke or cardiovascular death.

In this condition, arteries supply blood to the arteries outside of the heart to different body parts such as the legs, kidneys, feet and intestines. This arterial disease may cause damage to physical well being of the patient, for instance it may diminish the ability to walk. 

As per experts the new guidelines offer a diagnostic and treatment guide for patients who suffer from Peripheral Arterial Diseases. These guidelines also assist the physicians, assistants to the doctors and nurses who offer care to the patients. 

Alan T. Hirsch, who chairs the writing committee says, “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 highlights of these new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Arterial diseases include recommendations on when an aorta aneurysm should be treated with a catheter based therapy and when it should be a surgery. It also includes some recommended questions and observations that help uncover hidden factors and signs of PAD. The guidelines state when the best way is to be watchful and wait.