Health Disparities in Peripheral Artery Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects 200 million individuals worldwide. In the United States, certain demographic groups experience a disproportionately higher prevalence and clinical effect of PAD. The social and clinical effect of PAD includes higher rates of individual disability, depression, minor and major limb amputation along with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. The reasons behind the inequitable burden of PAD and inequitable delivery of care are both multifactorial and complex in nature, including systemic and structural inequity that exists within our society. Herein, we present an overview statement of the myriad variables that contribute to PAD disparities and conclude with a summary of potential novel solutions.

Seasonal variation in U.S. hospitalizations for chronic limb-threatening ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal variation in coronary artery disease is well described, with a peak in the winter and a trough in the summer. However, little is known about seasonal trends in hospital admission for critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and associated outcomes. METHODS: Patients admitted with CLTI from January 1, 2012 through August 31, 2015 were identified in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample based upon administrative claims diagnosis codes. The primary outcome was seasonal hospitalization incidence, and secondary outcomes included mortality rates and rates of in-hospital major and minor amputations among nondiabetics and diabetics. RESULTS: Of 1,276,745 hospitalizations for CLTI during the study period, 28.3% occurred in the spring, the peak admission season, and 19.1% occurred in the fall, the nadir. In-hospital mortality was highest during the winter (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.14), and followed the highest seasonal rates of influenza in the fall; however, other important comorbidities did not differ significantly by season. For the overall cohort, there was no significant seasonal variation in rates of major or minor amputation, although seasonal rates were different according to diabetic status. Patients without diabetes had the highest odds of amputation in the spring (OR 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02-1.12), although this trend was not identified among patients with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant seasonal variability in CLTI admissions and mortality but minimal variability in amputation rates. Understanding the seasonal variation in CLTI may help to identify individuals at greatest risk for hospitalization and death through patient and provider education efforts.

Increased mortality in octogenarians treated for lifestyle limiting claudication.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment for lifestyle limiting claudication (LLC) that is due to infra-inguinal peripheral artery disease relies on either bypass, angioplasty, and/or stenting. Given the enthusiasm and shift toward more endovascular therapy for treatment of LLC, we sought to analyze whether octogenarians benefit from infra-inguinal interventions in the same manner as their younger counterparts. METHODS: We identified all patients admitted for elective treatment of LLC from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2003 to 2012, who received open surgical or endovascular intervention for infra-inguinal peripheral arterial disease. These patients were divided into two groups including those between the ages 60-80 years (younger cohort) and those older than 80 years (octogenarians). Primary end-points included morbidity and mortality and the secondary end-points were length of hospital stay (LOS) and disposition after dismissal. RESULTS: Among 59,323 discharges identified in the dataset, 34,658 (58%) were males. There were 50,323 (85%) patients in the younger cohort and 9,000 (15%) octogenarians. The mean age was 69.9 ± 5.7 years and 84.2 ± 3.0 years for the younger cohort and octogenarians, respectively. The mean Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was higher in our younger cohort (2.1 ± 1.1, P < 0.001). Octogenarians mainly treated with open surgery prior to 2004 are now treated endovascularly and this trend has remained stable. The younger cohort's treatment modality has fluctuated through the study period and most recently is treated mainly with open surgery. The rate of acute kidney injury, exacerbation of congestive heart failure and mortality was higher in octogenarians (P < 0.001). The rate of infectious wound complications was higher in the younger cohort (P < 0.05). Octogenarians have longer LOS and are dismissed in higher percentage to a skilled nursing facility (P < 0.001). On binary logistic regression analysis, age over 80 years, female sex, higher CCI and having an open as opposed to an endovascular procedure are independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Although endovascular techniques seem to dominate the care for octogenarians with LLC, the overall morbidity and mortality rates are significantly higher in this patient population. Other options such as medical management and/or supervised exercise therapy should be explored in this patient group.

Renal Denervation for the Treatment of Hypertension: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite the widespread availability of both pharmacological and lifestyle therapeutic options, blood pressure control rates across the globe are worsening. In fact, only 23% of individuals with high blood pressure in the United States achieve treatment goals. In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved renal denervation, a catheter-based procedure that ablates the renal sympathetic nerves, as an adjunctive treatment for patients in whom lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive medications do not adequately control blood pressure. This approval followed the publication of multiple randomized clinical studies using rigorous trial designs, all incorporating renal angiogram as the sham control. Most but not all of the new generation of trials reached their primary end point, demonstrating modest efficacy of renal denervation in lowering blood pressure across a spectrum of hypertension, from mild to truly resistant. Individual patient responses vary, and further research is needed to identify those who may benefit most. The initial safety profile appears favorable, and multiple ongoing studies are assessing longer-term efficacy and safety. Multidisciplinary teams that include hypertension specialists and adequately trained proceduralists are crucial to ensure that referrals are made appropriately with full consideration of the potential risks and benefits. Incorporating patient preferences and engaging in shared decision-making conversations will help patients make the best decisions given their individual circumstances. Although further research is clearly needed, renal denervation presents a novel treatment strategy for patients with uncontrolled blood pressure.

An evidence-based review of the impact of periprocedural myocardial infarction in carotid revascularization.

Landmark trials comparing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with medical therapy in patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis of extracranial carotid arteries have favored carotid revascularization. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has emerged as a minimally invasive option for revascularization of carotid artery stenoses and has been shown to be noninferior to CEA, regardless of patient symptom status. Debate continues regarding the importance of periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) as an endpoint in carotid revascularization trials. Recent randomized comparisons of CEA and CAS pre-specify PMI as an endpoint. Understanding PMI in CEA and CAS, the need for routine biomarker assessment surrounding both revascularization strategies, the effect of PMI on long-term morbidity and mortality, and the groups most at risk for PMI are of critical importance when choosing a carotid revascularization strategy for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, since decreasing the incidence of PMI will make revascularization safer. This review examines available data regarding the relevance of PMI in vascular and carotid-specific outcomes.

Correlation between reflux time and venous clinical severity score in patients undergoing saphenous vein ablation: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: It is unclear whether reflux time independently correlates with severity of symptoms in patients with great saphenous vein reflux. METHODS: Eighty patients (mean age 64+/-12.7 years, 56% female) undergoing great saphenous vein (GSV) ablation for symptomatic reflux were assessed prospectively. Fifty-seven underwent ablation with radiofrequency, 23 with cyanoacrylate adhesive. Venous clinical severity score (VCSS) was assessed at, or prior to the time of ablation. The highest reflux time in the GSV was selected. RESULTS: VCSS values ranged from 2 to 20 (median 7). Mean reflux time was 5.3 s (+/-3.3). The Spearman rank correlation yielded a value of rs = -0.123, p (2-tailed) = .279, which was not significant. The patients with concomitant deep vein reflux had higher VCSS (p < .05). Analysis of patients with only superficial vein reflux (n = 45) also demonstrated a poor correlation between VCSS and reflux time (rs = -0.051, p (2-tailed) = .741). CONCLUSION: This prospective study did not demonstrate a correlation between reflux time and VCSS.

Real-world abdominal aorta aneurysm screening patterns among patients with new or worsening of symptomatic peripheral artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) have an increased risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), but it remains unclear whether practitioners are screening patients for AAA as part of routine PAD management. METHODS: The Patient-centered Outcomes Related to Treatment Practices in Peripheral Arterial Disease (PORTRAIT) Registry is an international prospective registry of patients with new or worsening PAD symptoms presenting to 16 specialty centers in the United States, Netherlands, and Australia, from June 2011 to December 2015. Patients were stratified by AAA screening or AAA positivity. An adjusted median odds ratio was calculated for AAA screening rates across sites. RESULTS: Of the 1275 patients in the study, 871 (68%) were screened for AAA, with 53 (6.1%) having AAA. AAA screening rates did not differ significantly by country (p = 0.36), but there was a large variation across sites for documentation of AAA screening with an adjusted median odds ratio 12.0 (95% CI 4.7-93.1), with AAA screening rates ranging from 7% to 100% across vascular specialty centers. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with PAD in a multicenter registry, over two-thirds were screened for AAA, with 6% having documented aneurysms. A large variation was seen across clinical sites, suggesting efforts are needed to increase awareness for guideline implementation and establish new benefit-risk evidence inclusive of high-risk populations such as patients with PAD.

Association of Disease-Specific Health Status With Long-Term Survival in Peripheral Artery Disease.

Background While peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity with mortality remaining high and challenging to predict, accurate understanding of serial PAD-specific health status around the time of diagnosis may prognosticate long-term mortality risk. Methods and Results Patients with new or worsening PAD symptoms enrolled in the PORTRAIT Registry across 10 US sites from 2011 to 2015 were included. Health status was assessed by the Peripheral Artery Questionnaire (PAQ) Summary score at baseline, 3-month, and change from baseline to 3-month follow-up. Kaplan-Meier using 3-month landmark and hierarchical Cox regression models were constructed to assess the association of the PAQ with 5-year all-cause mortality. Of the 711 patients (mean age 68.8±9.6 years, 40.9% female, 72.7% white; mean PAQ 47.5±22.0 and 65.9±25.0 at baseline and 3-month, respectively), 141 (19.8%) died over a median follow-up of 4.1 years. In unadjusted models, baseline (HR, 0.90 per-10-point increment; 95% CI, 0.84-0.97; P=0.008), 3-month (HR [95% CI], 0.87 [0.82-0.93]; P<0.001) and change in PAQ (HR [95% CI], 0.92 [0.85-0.99]; P=0.021) were each associated with mortality. In fully adjusted models including combination of scores, 3-month PAQ was more strongly associated with mortality than either baseline (3-month HR [95% CI], 0.85 [0.78-0.92]; P<0.001; C-statistic, 0.77) or change (3-month HR [95% CI], 0.79 [0.72-0.87]; P<0.001). Conclusions PAD-specific health status is independently associated with 5-year survival in patients with new or worsening PAD symptoms, with the most recent assessment being most prognostic. Future work is needed to better understand how this information can be used proactively to optimize care.

Correlation between great saphenous length of treatment zone and diameter with improvement in symptoms after ablation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the great saphenous vein (GSV) length of segment ablated and diameter with symptom improvement. METHODS: Data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled prospective study of 242 patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or cyanoacrylate closure (CAC) of the GSV were analyzed. The venous clinical severity score (VCSS) was measured at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after ablation. The GSV diameter was evaluated for a correlation with VCSS at each time point. Using the median treatment length of 34 cm, the patients were divided into group I (treatment length ≥34 cm) vs group II (<34 cm) for analysis. The pretreatment VCSS and VCSS improvement (ΔVCSS) after treatment were evaluated with respect to the length of the ablated GSV segment. The postablation VCSS was compared between the pretreatment GSV diameters of <5.5 mm vs ≥5.5 mm. RESULTS: The mean GSV length ablated by RFA was 35.3 ± 14 cm vs 32.6 ± 11 cm with CAC (P = NS). No significant difference was found in the VCSS (at baseline or follow-up) between RFA and CAC. The pooled data for all participants (n = 242) demonstrated a correlation between the treated GSV length and pretreatment VCSS and the ΔVCSS at 36 months (R = 0.23; P < .001). Greater VCSS improvement was seen in group I (≥34 cm ablated) than in group II (<34 cm ablated) at ≤36 months of follow-up (P = .003). At baseline, group I had had higher VCSSs (6.21 ± 2.75 vs 4.88 ± 2.33; P < .00001) and CEAP (clinical, etiologic, anatomic, pathophysiologic) and reflux scores. Of the 242 patients, 101 had had a GSV diameter <5.5 mm and 141 had had a GSV diameter of ≥5.5 mm. No significant differences were noted in the VCSSs, either at baseline or at follow-up, between the two groups. Within the study population, a poor correlation was found between the GSV diameter and baseline VCSS (R = -0.004; P = .95) and between the GSV diameter and ΔVCSS for ≤36 months (R = 0.04; P = .55). CONCLUSIONS: Longer segments of GSV reflux appeared to correlate with symptom severity. We found a small to moderate correlation between the length of GSV segment ablated and symptom improvement. This might reflect the greater severity of symptoms at baseline in patients with longer segments with reflux. We found a poor correlation between the proximal GSV diameter and symptom improvement after ablation.

Review of the Current Basic Science Strategies to Treat Critical Limb Ischemia.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a highly morbid disease with many patients considered poor surgical candidates. The lack of treatment options for CLI has driven interest in developing molecular therapies within recent years. Through these translational medicine studies in CLI, much has been learned about the pathophysiology of the disease. Here, we present an overview of the macrovascular and microvascular changes that lead to the development of CLI, including impairment of angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, and arteriogenesis. We summarize the randomized clinical controlled trials that have used molecular therapies in CLI, and discuss the novel imaging modalities being developed to assess the efficacy of these therapies.