Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common manifestation of atherosclerosis, whose prevalence is increasing globally. Recent estimates suggest >200 million individuals worldwide are affected, representing a 24% increase over the last decade that spans all socioeconomic strata. Individuals with PAD are at increased risk for death and disability related to cardiovascular disease and experience functional decline and impaired quality of life.

Current treatments for PAD include lifestyle modification, medical therapies, exercise, and revascularization. The development of catheterbased technologies to treat PAD has led to major shifts in practice patterns, including a dramatic increase in the use of invasive procedures and a concomitant rise in associated costs. Moreover, the use of PAD treatment modalities is highly variable across hospital regions, practice settings, and physician specialties. Therefore, there is an ongoing need among referring physicians and vascular specialists for evidence-based practice guidelines to improve clinical decision making in the care of the PAD patient.

The Guideline document is divided into the following discrete sections:

• Epidemiology and risk factors
• Diagnosis
• Management of asymptomatic PAD
• Noninterventional management of claudication (pharmacotherapy, exercise)
• Role of revascularization in claudication (general, aortoiliac, infrainguinal)
• Postprocedural care and surveillance

Within each section, the key clinical questions and relevant evidence are summarized. Specific recommendations, with their respective Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) assignment, are listed at the end of each section, followed by a table of evidence summary. Other recommendations on more subtle points of management are interspersed throughout the text and referenced where appropriate.