Updates made to guidelines in diagnosing peripheral artery disease
People who are prone to abnormal blood clots or other circulatory health problems could avoid adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, if they buy Canadian Plavix at a fraction of the cost.
People who are prone to abnormal blood clots or other circulatory health problems could avoid adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, if they buy Canadian Plavix at a fraction of the cost. This clotting condition, known as peripheral artery disease (PAD), could affect tens of millions of Americans, some of whom may not even know that they have it or show obvious symptoms, according to the American College of Cardiology. If left untreated, PAD could lead to leg amputations, kidney failure, heart attack or stroke.
To help spot and treat this potentially fatal disease, the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association joined forces and released new clinical guidelines to diagnose PAD.
"This document provides agreed upon approaches and treatments for PAD that vascular surgeons, vascular medicine specialists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, interventional radiologists and primary care clinicians can apply to help improve patient care," said writing group chair Thom Rooke, MD.
Among the new guidelines are lowering the age for ABI diagnostic testing from 70 to 65 years of age. Physicians should also recommend smoking cessation and leg artery angioplasty to patients expected to continue living for more than two years. Furthermore, both open surgeries and catheter-based procedures for aortic aneurysms are almost equally safe and effective, the guidelines said, among other new recommendations.
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