Guidelines: PAD Is Underdiagnosed, Undertreated : Primary care physicians, said the committee, need to take on more responsibility for recognizing PAD.

The ACC/AHA committee is planning several ways to make sure health care providers—especially those on the front lines—know about the new guidelines. An introductory Webcast was broadcast in December, and continuing medical education slides are being created for training programs, Dr. Hirsch said.

The ACC will also prepare wall charts and pocket guides. Eventually, the ACC will start to measure whether the guidelines are improving public health, but that is farther down the road, Dr. Hirsch said.

The guidelines appear in summary form on the ACC Web site at www.acc.org/clinical/guidelines/pad/summary.pdfwww.heart.org