The Case for Gulf Region-Specific Peripheral Artery Disease Trials: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Authors

• Hosaam H. Nasr, Consultant, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, King Abdulaziz Medical city, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaFollow
• Faisal A. Almudaiheem, Fellow Vascular Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, King Abdulaziz Medical city, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaFollow

Abstract

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) research is globally underrepresented, with landmark trials like Best Endovascular Surgical Therapy for Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia and Bypass versus Angioplasty in Severe Ischemia of the Leg predominantly featuring white, Western populations. These studies fail to account for the unique clinical landscape of the Gulf region, where PAD prevalence reaches up to 13.7%. Gulf patients present at younger ages and face a disproportionately high diabetes burden, with regional prevalence near 18%, nearly double that of Europe. Beyond metabolic factors, the Gulf population exhibits distinct genetic architectures, including high rates of consanguinity and familial hypercholesterolemia. Because Western-derived data cannot be universally applied, there is an urgent imperative for region-specific PAD trials that incorporate local epidemiology, culturally adapted outcome measures, and localized risk assessment models.

Article Type

Review

First Page

1474

Last Page

1478

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Recommended Citation

Nasr, Hosaam H. and Almudaiheem, Faisal A. (2026) "The Case for Gulf Region-Specific Peripheral Artery Disease Trials: A Comprehensive Literature Review," Saudi Medical Journal: Vol. 47: Iss. 9, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15537/1658-3175.8837