A recent Yale-led study found that Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI)-related hospitalizations among adults 65 and under are on the rise, Based on inpatient data collected, adults under 65 accounted for 39.7% of CLI-related hospitalizations in 2011, and rose to 49.3% in 2017.
CLI is an advanced form of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). Typically doctors characterize a patient as having CLI when PAD has progressed beyond the point where the patient is experiencing leg pain during exertion (claudication), and is now experiencing leg pain at rest.
Other statistics to note in this study:
- Men under 65 were the fastest-growing group, compared to women under 65, and men and women over 65
- Those hospitalized were more likely to be ethnic or racial minorities, be uninsured, and had a lower median income
- 40% were smokers
- Those hospitalized were twice as likely to abuse alcohol, and 6 times more likely to abuse drugs
- 20% of younger women also had depression, double the prevalence compared to healthy young women
“The combination of comorbidities seen in younger patients with CLI suggests that behavioral medicine should be included in multispeciality integrated vascular care, and that a population health approach should be used to design preventative measures that mitigate the devasting impacts of CLI and associated comorbidities.”
Source: Harris KM, Mena-Hurtado C, Arham A, Burg MM, Freedland KE, Sinha R, Alabi O, Smolderen KG. Increasing Prevalence of Critical Limb Ischemia Hospitalizations With Distinct Mental Health Burden Among Younger Adults. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021 Nov 23;78(21):2126-2128. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2021.09.025. PMID: 34794693.
