Symptomatic and Systemic Atherosclerotic Plaque Activity in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease Using Novel Imaging

The goal of this observational study is to characterise the relationships between inflammation, microcalcification and thrombus activity in atherosclerotic plaques in peripheral and systemic vascular territories in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease.

In peripheral arterial disease (PAD), arteries in the lower body can become narrowed and develop blockages due to a process called atherosclerosis, leading to reduced blood flow to the lower limbs. Symptoms can range from mild cramping pain in legs on walking, to loss of parts of the leg. Patients with PAD are also at a high risk of blockages in other arteries in the body that can lead to problems such as heart attacks and strokes. Despite improvements in medical treatments and surgery, the outlook for patients with PAD has not improved. Further information is required to understand the relationships between the processes that lead to narrowing and blockages (atherosclerosis) of the arteries and if they behave the same in different parts of the body. This can help to identify targeted treatments to reduce the risk of the disease getting worse and avoid heart attacks and strokes. In this study investigators plan to recruit 100 people with symptomatic PAD to undergo a series of whole body PET-CT and CT angiogram scans using different tracers targeting the processes involved in atherosclerosis. Investigators will aim to co-enrol patients taking part in the LEADER-PAD study (NCT04774159).