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More Clinical Trials for Women with PAD
By jeremyc | February 17, 2012
According to a statement from the American Heart Association (AHA), women suffering from peripheral artery disease (PAD) are two to three times more prone to have a heart attack or stroke. Still, it is usually left untreated or even undiagnosed. The statement was published on 15 February 2012 in the Journal of American Heart Association. Vascular Disease Foundation, Peripheral Artery Disease Coalition and American Heart Association recommend healthcare professionals to inform their PAD patients about such risks.
PAD is a grim circulatory disease caused due to the buildup of fat along with other blood vessel materials outside the heart, usually in the arms, feet and legs. If left untreated, it may lead to stroke or heart attack in the patient. This can not only limit the patient’s ability to walk, but may also lead to tissue death, which may necessitate limb amputation in some patients.
Around 8 million people suffer from peripheral artery disease in the US alone, equally prevalent in males and females. Only 10% of these PAD patients notice signs such as leg pain, and it usually subsides with rest. Some patients do not experience any symptoms at all. Because of this, a large number of patients do not receive timely treatment. According to recent statement made by the AHA, over 1.1 million people seek medical care for this disease every year. Alan T. Hirsch, MD, lead author of the statement, mentions that healthcare cost of PAD is comparable to that of stroke or heart disease. Any person older than 50 years is at a high risk of developing PAD, yet it usually goes undiagnosed, especially in women.
Although men and women are at equal risk of developing PAD, research in women lags far behind when compared to men. Hirsch says that it is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to give equal attention to women too, which will help in studying, preventing, diagnosing and treating the condition more efficiently. An adequate number of women have not taken part in such clinical tests and studies to see how PAD progresses and how accurate the prevalence and incidences are. For this reason, female PAD patients need to be the subject of more clinical trials so that results from the previous studies can be combined together to deduce relevant results.
Research on the effects of PAD on female patients has also been called for so that it can be determined how the gender of a patient affects the rate of PAD development and response to medications. The authors of the statement also recommended health promotion campaigns to provide sufficient education to women regarding the risks of PAD and its screening and treatment options. Mary Ann Bauman, MD, volunteer for the AHA campaign ‘Go Red for Women’, mentions that through their campaign, they are trying to raise women’s awareness regarding PAD and encourage them to talk more openly about their risks. They are also teaching them about prevention and treatment of the disease, helping them to save their lives and improve their condition of living.
People older than 50 years and those who smoke or have diabetes are at increased risks of developing peripheral artery disease. Patients who suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obesity, or have a family history of PAD and a sedentary lifestyle are also more likely to develop the disease. Treatment may include lifestyle and diet changes, exercise and medication. Some patients may even require inserting stents for opening of constricted blood vessels or bypass surgery.
Topics: | Heart, Women's Health |
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