U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Release Date: August 2005
Summary of Recommendation / Supporting Documents
Summary of Recommendation
- The USPSTF recommends against routine screening for peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Rating: "D" recommendation.
Rationale: The USPSTF found fair evidence that screening with ankle brachial index can detect adults
with asymptomatic PAD. The evidence is also fair that screening for PAD among asymptomatic
adults in the general population would have few or no benefits because the prevalence of PAD in
this group is low and because there is little evidence that treatment of PAD at this asymptomatic
stage of disease, beyond treatment based on standard cardiovascular risk assessment, improves
health outcomes.
The USPSTF found fair evidence that screening asymptomatic adults with the ankle brachial
index could lead to some small degree of harm, including false-positive results and unnecessary
work-ups. Thus, the USPSTF concludes that, for asymptomatic adults, harms of routine
screening for PAD exceed benefits.
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Supporting Documents
Screening for Peripheral Arterial Disease, August 2005
Recommendation Statement (PDF File, 41 KB; PDF Help)
Brief Evidence Update (PDF File, 42 KB; PDF Help)
Current as of August 2005
Internet Citation:
Screening for Peripheral Arterial Disease, Topic Page. August 2005. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspspard.htm