AI to spot peripheral artery disease sooner
Official title: Artificial Intelligence for early Detection of Peripheral Artery Disease (AID-PAD)
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11179489 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests an AI tool that scans health records to find early signs of peripheral artery disease in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $529,904 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG084343-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11179489 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older with medical records in participating health systems or with risk factors for PAD would be the ideal candidates for involvement or indirect benefit.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those without electronic health records at participating sites, or patients with no PAD risk factors are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
You would be affected because researchers are training an AI model on electronic health records to recognize hidden signs of peripheral artery disease (PAD). They will validate the model across different hospitals and patient groups to make sure it works well for people of different races, sexes, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The team will also study how to add the AI into clinic workflows so providers can act on alerts and start treatments earlier. Finally, they will measure whether using the AI changes diagnosis rates, treatment starts, and health outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could help clinicians diagnose PAD earlier so patients get treatments sooner and avoid serious complications.
How similar studies have gone: Similar AI approaches have shown promise detecting diseases from EHR data and early PAD models looked encouraging, but broad validation and real-world workflow studies are still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ross, Elsie Gyang — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Ross, Elsie Gyang
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Low-dose colchicine to reduce vascular risk in people with peripheral artery disease
This project tests whether taking a low-dose anti-inflammatory drug (colchicine) daily can lower heart and limb-related risks for adults with peripheral artery disease.
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Gamified home walking program to help seniors with peripheral artery disease improve walking and quality of life
A program uses game elements on wearable devices to help people 65+ with peripheral artery disease walk more at home and feel better.
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Fatty clues in leg arteries: how fat burning in mitochondria affects PAD and muscle health
This project looks at how fat metabolism in leg muscles relates to weakness and tissue damage in people with peripheral artery disease and aims to find new ways to help them.
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Enhancing muscle energy to help leg function in PAD
A study to boost how muscle mitochondria work in people with peripheral artery disease to improve walking and leg function.
-
Low-dose colchicine for people with peripheral artery disease to reduce heart and limb risks
A large international study will test whether a low daily dose of colchicine can lower heart and limb complications for people with peripheral artery disease.
-
Low-dose colchicine for reducing vascular risk in people with PAD
A large international study will test whether a daily low dose of colchicine can lower heart and limb-related risks for people with peripheral artery disease.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.