PAD and Risk Factors: Systematic Review with ☸SAIMSARA

This paper aims to systematically review and synthesize the identified risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and its associated clinical outcomes, drawing exclusively from the provided structured extraction summary. The review utilises 1492 original studies with 16060307 total participants (naïve ΣN). Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a pervasive and increasing global health challenge, with its burden disproportionately affecting older adults, women, and lower socioeconomic populations. The landscape of PAD risk factors is dominated by traditional cardiovascular culprits, notably smoking (accounting for up to 45.6% of PAD risk) and diabetes mellitus (2.49-fold higher risk in T2D patients), alongside advanced age, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Emerging evidence highlights the significant contributions of genetic predispositions, inflammatory biomarkers, and psychosocial and socioeconomic determinants. Despite this comprehensive understanding, PAD remains widely underrecognized and undertreated. A key limitation is the heterogeneity of study designs and inconsistent reporting of quantitative outcomes. Moving forward, intensified, targeted screening in high-risk groups and aggressive, multidisciplinary management of all identified risk factors are crucial to mitigate the growing morbidity and mortality associated with PAD.