Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common disease. One in five of the middle-aged population of the United Kingdom has evidence of peripheral vascular disease on clinical examination, although only a quarter of these people have symptoms¹. PAD is a distinct atherothrombotic syndrome that is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, including death, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke². In essence, PAD is an important manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis.