Peripheral vascular disease is a group of circulatory disorders affecting blood vessels outside the heart and brain, most commonly the arteries supplying the limbs, in which narrowing, obstruction, or spasm reduces blood flow to peripheral tissues. The dominant form, peripheral arterial disease, is usually caused by…
Peripheral vascular disease is a group of circulatory disorders affecting blood vessels outside the heart and brain, most commonly the arteries supplying the limbs, in which narrowing, obstruction, or spasm reduces blood flow to peripheral tissues. The dominant form, peripheral arterial disease, is usually caused by atherosclerosis, the progressive deposition of lipid-rich plaque within the arterial wall, and shares risk factors with coronary and cerebrovascular disease, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and tobacco exposure. Clinically it may present with intermittent claudication, rest pain, impaired wound healing, and, in advanced stages, critical limb ischaemia and tissue loss. Diabetes is a particularly important contributor, as chronic hyperglycaemia accelerates vascular damage and, combined with peripheral neuropathy, predisposes to non-healing foot and leg ulceration. Evaluation relies on history, examination of pulses, and non-invasive haemodynamic and imaging studies, while management combines risk-factor modification, antiplatelet and lipid-lowering therapy, supervised exercise, and, where indicated, revascularisation. Because the underlying atherosclerotic process is systemic, peripheral vascular disease frequently coexists with ischaemic heart disease and stroke and serves as a marker of generalised cardiovascular risk. Effective care therefore integrates limb-directed treatment with comprehensive management of the metabolic and vascular factors driving disease progression.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 41 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Peripheral Vascular Disease, linking to each citing work.