Impact of Peripheral Arterial Disease on Outcomes of Acute Coronary Syndrome

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) refers to the extracardiac localization of atherosclerotic disease, generally in arteries that vascularize the lower limbs. More than 50% of patients with PAD also have coronary artery disease (CAD). There are concerns about possible differences in mortality rates among hospitalized patients and the need for immediate revascularization during hospital stay across different types of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) when PAD is present. This was a retrospective study that included 100 patients admitted with ACS between October 2019 and May 2022. Participants were divided into two groups: those with ACS and PAD (n=32) and those without PAD (n=68). We used the SYNTAX score to evaluate the severity of coronary artery disease, the amount of contrast and dose area product (DAP) dosage per patient during the procedure and how these factors vary. There was a 6.8 higher average SYNTAX score among patients with ACS and PAD (p=0.034), which could negatively affect their prognosis. In addition, there was a 12.7-point increase in the SYNTAX score for patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) and PAD (p=0.008). Patients with ACS and concomitant PAD were more likely to require complete revascularization of the left main disease. Patients with PAD and concomitant ACS have more severe CAD, with more frequent involvement of the left main artery than those without PAD.