According to a new analysis published by THE SAGE GROUP, 503,000 to 838,000 of critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients in the United States experience rest pain (Rutherford Category 4).
“CLI is the most severe and deadly form of peripheral artery disease (PAD),” states Mary L. Yost, president of THE SAGE GROUP, in a media release. “According to our estimates, 2.0 to 3.4 million US citizens have CLI.”
“The Rutherford system categorizes CLI by severity into three stages: rest pain (R-4), nonhealing ulcers (R-5), and gangrene (R-6). Mortality and the risk of amputation increase with Rutherford Category. Treatment costs also increase with disease severity,” Yost observes.
“Over the last 10 years, CLI patients have increased as a percentage of PAD patients treated. Since treatment costs increase with severity, this is a significant factor driving PAD costs upward,” Yost adds.
The percentage prevalence of CLI patients in each Rutherford Category reflects recently published peer-reviewed data. Within each Rutherford Category, patients are assumed to be treated with revascularization, amputation or palliative therapies. Patient prevalence by treatment pathway is projected for each Rutherford Category for 2015-2030.
Since only a fraction of patients is diagnosed and treated, the current market, or those treated, is estimated by treatment pathway for each Rutherford Category.
Because CLI is commonly bilateral, all estimates are also made for limbs as well as for patients, the release explains.
For more information, visit THE SAGE GROUP.
[Source(s): THE SAGE GROUP, Business Wire]
