PAD Pulse Alliance Survey Highlights Disconnect in Public Knowledge of PAD Risks

February 28, 2024—The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), and Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), which have joined together as the PAD Pulse Alliance, announced the “Get a Pulse on PAD” public awareness initiative.

The campaign is designed to educate people on the risk factors and potential symptoms while encouraging patients to advocate for their health by kicking off the conversation with their doctor. The PAD Pulse Alliance and its partners published a website and Patient Toolkit, available at PADPulse.org.

According to the press release, a new national survey released by the PAD Pulse Alliance highlights a disconnect among people between the risk factors and their personal perceived risk of PAD. Among Black and Hispanic adults, approximately 80% report never having a doctor or healthcare provider discuss PAD with them—this finding underscores the need to start the conversation.

The alliance noted that Black people are twice as likely to have PAD and up to four times more likely to undergo an amputation compared to white people. Also, Hispanic patients present with more progressive PAD leading to worse outcomes including greater risk of amputation.

As outlined in the alliance press release, key survey highlights include the following:

• Approximately 70% of Americans are not familiar with PAD and its devastating risks.
• Approximately all (91%) of the survey respondents would dismiss pain as just part of getting older, although pain in the leg when walking that goes away with rest is one of the first symptoms of PAD.
• More than half (53%) of respondents would wait more than a week with ongoing leg pain before calling their doctor.
• Approximately eight in 10 Black and Hispanic respondents never had a doctor or healthcare provider talk with them about PAD.
• Despite 71% of Black adults having one or more risk factors for PAD or knowing someone with one or more risk factors, 65% report they are at little to no risk at all for developing PAD.
• Three-quarters of Hispanic adults have one or more risk factors for PAD or know someone with one or more risk factors but 70% think they are not at risk for developing PAD.

PAD Pulse Alliance fielded three surveys to better understand perceptions from various populations:

• General population, which included 1,000 responses from a nationally representative sample over the age of 18 years. The confidence level for the survey is 95% with a margin of error of ±3.1.
• Black American population, which included 500 responses from a sample of Black respondents using census data for age and sex balancing. All respondents are over the age of 18 years. The confidence level for the survey is 95% with a margin of error of ±3.1.
• Hispanic American population, which included 500 responses from a sample of Hispanic people using census data for age and sex balancing. All respondents are over the age of 18 years. The confidence level for the survey is 95% with a margin of error of ±3.1.

The initiative is chaired by prominent experts representing diverse vascular and interventional specialties:

• Foluso Fakorede, MD, CEO of Cardiovascular Solutions of Central Mississippi in Cleveland, Mississippi
• Kumar Madassery, MD, director of the Peripheral Vascular Intervention & CLI Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois
• Eric A. Secemsky, MD, director of vascular intervention in the CardioVascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts
• William Shutze, MD, vascular surgeon at Texas Vascular Associates in Dallas, Texas

Dr. Fakorede, who is cochair of ABC’s PAD Initiative, stated, “The disturbing variations in PAD prevalence, treatments, and outcomes underscore another perilous consequence of the health equity gap in managing chronic conditions. It’s critical to increase awareness among racial and ethnically marginalized communities and the providers who serve them to close the gap. This campaign is one way we are doing just that, but it will take an ongoing conversation to ensure we’re meeting patients where they are with the tools and resources they need.”

SIR President Alda L. Tam, MD, added, “Screening for PAD is easy, quick, and noninvasive. Yet, this survey confirmed that critical patient-provider conversations addressing common symptoms aren’t happening. If we can educate more people on the risk factors and early warning signs associated with PAD, it’s our hope we can foster dialogue earlier between providers and patients to kick off screening and treatment – ultimately preventing amputations and saving lives.”

Also in the press release, SCAI President George D. Dangas, MD, commented, “These new insights are particularly concerning among those most at risk and come at a time when a staggering 1 in 20 Americans over 50 years of age experience PAD. The survey confirms what we feared: millions don’t have the tools they need to help start a conversation with their healthcare providers because patients are unaware of their risks and the common signs and symptoms. That’s why we’re encouraging anyone with leading risk factors—diabetes, high blood pressure, and use of tobacco products—to know ‘your three for PAD’ and talk to your doctor.”

Finally, Joseph L. Mills, MD, President of SVS, commented, “The collaboration among these medical societies is a testament to the devastating impact PAD can have on people, families, and whole communities if not diagnosed and treated early, and importantly, early treatment usually consists of medication and lifestyle changes. We hope that care teams will continue to collaborate to ensure early and proper diagnosis with the goal of improving outcomes for patients.”