The CCS 2022 Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Guidelines are here!

PAD is often asymptomatic, is underdiagnosed, under-recognized, and undertreated. It is also associated with significant cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality.

A gap in the medical management of patients with PAD has been reported by American and Canadian physicians for 20 years, and we hope that these new guidelines will provide primary care, medical specialists, and vascular surgeons with the tools they need to help close the treatment gap, and to improve the prognosis of patients with PAD.

Over the past 2 decades there have been substantial advancements in diagnostics, pharmacotherapy, and interventions including endovascular and open surgical to aid in the management of PAD patients.

“The largest concern with PAD is the lack of awareness and screening, coupled with the immense toll it takes on patients wellbeing and lives.” – Dr. Beth Abramson, Co-chair, CCS 2022 PAD Guidelines.

The CCS 2022 PAD Guidelines will provide clinicians with guidance in the following areas:

• diagnosis and screening of PAD;
• optimal medical management for patients with PAD;
• strategies to decrease risk and improve symptoms with smoking cessation therapies, medical therapies, and exercise programs; and
• decisions regarding indications for interventions, assessing perioperative risk, and choosing between endovascular vs surgical approaches to revascularization.

On behalf of CCS we thank the PAD Guidelines committee for their effort and commitment to bring you these important, practice-changing recommendations.