Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Innovative Treatments

Dear Colleagues,

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), also referred to as peripheral vascular disease, is an aging-related disease associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Given our aging global population, we can expect that the prevalence of PAD will only increase in the coming decades. Notably, numerous prominent researchers in this field of study have noted that PAD is underappreciated, underdiagnosed, undertreated, and understudied. PAD is caused by the chronic progressive accumulation of atherosclerotic lesions, which results in varying degrees of arterial obstruction that determine the associated ischemia and ischemia–reperfusion injuries of the involved lower extremities. PAD is an intimal disease, associated with endothelial cell activation and dysfunction, which are further correlated with increased inflammation and decreased bioavailable nitric oxide quantities. PAD is also associated with the development and progression of vascular arterial stiffening, which is a significant contributor to the development of microvessel disease and peripheral arterial ischemia. Importantly, we must never forget the strong emotional and physical toll that is associated with PAD and the pain associated with ischemic myalgia and neuropathy, resulting in frailty and an increased risk of falls owing to associated injuries.

The primary goals of this Special Issue are to increase awareness and our basic understanding of the development and progression of PAD, to expand our database of knowledge, and to aid in the design of aggressive treatments of known associated risk factors along with possible novel and/or innovative treatments. Certainly, there exists an increased need for the clinical screening of older individuals for the presence of PAD in doctors’ offices and in hospitals, since PAD is also known to be associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. 

The Guest Editor hopes that this Special Issue will contribute to an increased awareness and understanding of PAD, in addition to stimulating critical discussion that will inspire further research in improving the clinical outcomes of patients with PAD.

Prof. Dr. Melvin Hayden
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Vascular Diseases is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• atherosclerosis
• endothelial cell activation and dysfunction
• ischemic myalgia
• ischemic neuropathy microvessel disease
• nitric oxide
• peripheral arterial disease
• pulse pressure
• vascular arterial stiffening