A new Intermountain Health study finds that peripheral artery disease, a condition that affects more than 10 million Americans over the age of 40, is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, with fewer women getting guideline-directed medical therapy than men.
As a result, combined with this highly debilitating disease, patients with peripheral artery disease have a more than 50 percent chance of dying from the condition.
Peripheral artery disease affects nearly 10 percent of the US population. It occurs when the arteries that carry blood to the legs and arms become narrowed or blocked by plaque buildup, leading to reduced blood flow.
As one of the major conditions that comprise atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, peripheral artery disease the third leading cause of death from atherosclerotic…