Hirsch A T, Hiatt W R
Vascular Medicine Program, Minnesota Vascular Diseases Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Vasc Med. 2001;6(3 Suppl):9-12. doi: 10.1177/1358836X0100600i103.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a very common manifestation of atherosclerosis and is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite the magnitude of the problem, PAD is often under-recognized in clinical practice until its limb manifestations are severe or heart attack or stroke supervene. The PAD Awareness, Risk and Treatment: New Resources for Survival (PARTNERS) program, recently completed in the USA, had five aims: (1) creation of a method for detection of PAD in primary care practice; (2) assessment of the awareness of the PAD diagnosis in both patients and physicians; (3) assessment of the magnitude of the atherosclerotic risk factor burden and intensity of treatment of atherosclerotic risk factors in PAD patients; (4) assessment of the disease-specific and general quality of life of PAD patients in their communities; and (5) provision of an educational intervention to foster improved community-prescribed medical interventions for patients with PAD. Lack of public and physician interest in PAD contrasts with the high prevalence and poor medical prognosis of PAD. The intention of PARTNERS was to create a community-based program to measure current rates of PAD awareness, physician recognition and treatment intensity. Data obtained will form the basis of future clinical investigations to improve clinical care for PAD patients in the USA.
外周动脉疾病（PAD）是动脉粥样硬化非常常见的一种表现形式，并且与心血管疾病的高发病率和高死亡率相关。尽管这一问题严重，但在临床实践中，PAD往往在肢体症状严重或发生心脏病发作或中风之前未得到充分认识。美国最近完成的“外周动脉疾病认知、风险与治疗：生存新资源”（PARTNERS）项目有五个目标：（1）创建一种在初级保健实践中检测PAD的方法；（2）评估患者和医生对PAD诊断的认知情况；（3）评估PAD患者动脉粥样硬化危险因素负担的程度以及动脉粥样硬化危险因素的治疗强度；（4）评估PAD患者在其社区中的疾病特异性和总体生活质量；（5）提供一种教育干预措施，以促进社区为PAD患者开具的医疗干预措施得到改善。公众和医生对PAD缺乏关注，这与PAD的高患病率和不良医学预后形成鲜明对比。PARTNERS的目的是创建一个基于社区的项目，以衡量当前PAD的认知率、医生识别率和治疗强度。所获得的数据将为未来改善美国PAD患者临床护理的临床研究奠定基础。
