Clinical Predictors of Early Peripheral Artery Disease in Middle Aged Adults

Abstract

Early peripheral artery disease (PAD) in middle-aged adults often develops silently, driven by subtle metabolic, inflammatory, and hemodynamic changes that precede measurable declines in ankle–brachial index. This study integrates clinical biomarkers, Doppler-derived flow parameters, and multivariate statistical modeling to characterize the earliest stages of arterial dysfunction. The results demonstrate that modest elevations in systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, when combined with reduced end-diastolic Doppler velocities, reliably predict early perfusion decline. The multivariate risk probability curve further shows that small, simultaneous deviations across these clinical domains sharply increase the probability of early PAD onset, underscoring the importance of probabilistic, model-driven screening. These findings support the adoption of integrated risk analytics for adults aged 40–60 to enable earlier detection, individualized preventive management, and reduction of long-term cardiovascular complications.