Background: Contemporary estimates of undetected asymptomatic lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the community and its association with adverse outcomes in the population are lacking. We investigated the long-term association between previously undetected PAD and subsequent all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries aged ≥65 years in a large metropolitan area characterized by concentrations of atherosclerotic risk factors and a more vulnerable socioeconomic risk profile.
Methods: Data were derived from the patients' electronic medical records and linked with claims outcomes data for 13,971 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries aged ≥65 years who had undergone PAD screening in 2016 as a part of their routine annual health assessment in the greater Las Vegas, Nevada, metropolitan area.