Women with peripheral artery disease are more likely than men to have atypical or no symptoms, the American Heart Association has advised in a new scientific statement.

In an evidence review, the US authors also said that female patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) tended to experience greater functional decline.

“The higher prevalence of atypical symptoms … perhaps due to a higher prevalence of comorbidities that contribute to atypical leg symptoms or lower physical activity, respectively, could result in higher rates of underdiagnosis,” they wrote in Circulation this month.

The authors cited a 2019 Australian general practice study of ankle-brachial index testing that showed rates of previously undiagnosed PAD were nearly 32% in women and 25.7% in men.