2024 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/APMA/ABC/SCAI/SVM/SVN/SVS/SIR/VESS Guideline for the Management of Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

Abstract

Aim: The "2024 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/APMA/ABC/SCAI/SVM/SVN/SVS/SIR/VESS Guideline for the Management of Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease" provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the treatment of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease across its multiple clinical presentation subsets (ie, asymptomatic, chronic symptomatic, chronic limb-threatening ischemia, and acute limb ischemia).

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from October 2020 to June 2022, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that was published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINHL Complete, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through May 2023 during the peer review process, were also considered by the writing committee and added to the evidence tables where appropriate.

Structure: Recommendations from the "2016 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Patients With Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease" have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing comprehensive care for patients with peripheral artery disease have been developed.

Keywords: ACC/AHA Clinical Practice Guidelines; acute limb ischemia; angioplasty; ankle-brachial index; anticoagulation therapy; antiplatelet therapy; antithrombotic therapy; atherosclerosis; atypical leg symptoms; blood pressure lowering; bypass graft/bypass grafting/surgical bypass; cilostazol; claudication/intermittent claudication; critical limb ischemia/chronic limb-threatening ischemia; diabetes; diagnostic testing; endovascular therapy; exercise rehabilitation/exercise therapy/exercise training/supervised exercise; foot care; hybrid approach; lipid lowering; lower extremity/foot wound/ulcer; medical management; open revascularization; percutaneous therapy; peripheral artery disease/peripheral arterial disease/peripheral vascular disease/lower extremity arterial disease; smoking/smoking cessation; statin; stenting; thrombolysis; vascular intervention; vascular surgery.