The AHA Guidelines and Scientific Statements Handbook

The AHA Guidelines and Scientifi c Statements Handbook

Individual at risk of PAD (no leg symptoms or atypical leg symptoms):

Consider use of the walking impairment questionnaire

Perform a resting ankle-brachial index measurement (see Figure 6)

ABI greater than 1.30

(abnormal)

ABI 0.91 to 1.30

(borderline & normal)

ABI less than or

equal to 0.90

(abnormal)

Measure ankle-brachial

index after exercise test

Pulse volume recording

Toe-brachial index

(Duplex ultrasonography*)

Evaluate other causes

of leg symptoms†

Confirmation of PAD

diagnosis

Decreased post-

exercise ankle-

brachial index

Normal results:

No peripheral

arterial disease

Abnormal

results

Normal post-exercise

ankle-brachial index:

No peripheral arterial

disease

Risk factor normalization:

Immediate smoking cessation

Treat hypertension: JNC-7 guidelines

Treat lipids: NCEP ATP III guidelines

Treat diabetes mellitus: HbAlc less than 70%‡

Pharmacological risk reduction:

Antiplatelet therapy

(ACE inhibition;# Class IIb, LOE C

Fig. 9.3 Diagnosis and treatment of asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and atypical leg pain.

• Duplex ultrasonography should generally be reserved for use in symptomatic patients in whom anatomic diagnostic data is required for care.
  †Other causes of leg pain may include: lumbar disk disease, sciatica, radiculopathy; muscle strain; neuropathy; compartment syndrome.
  ‡ It is not yet proven that treatment of diabetes mellitus will signifi cantly reduce PAD-specifi c (limb ischemic) endpoints. Primary treatment of diabetes mellitus
  should be continued according to established guidelines.
  #The benefi t of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibition in individuals without claudication has not been specifi cally documented in prospective clinical
  trials, but has been extrapolated from other “at risk” populations.
  ABI, ankle-brachial index; HgbA1c, hemoglobin A; JNC-7, Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment
  of High Blood Pressure; LOE, level of evidence; NCEP ATP-III, National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III.