Peripheral Artery Disease

Addressing an Under-Monitored Condition

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) detection still relies heavily on intermittent Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) testing and subjective symptom reporting, approaches that leave early disease progression, functional decline and treatment response largely unseen between visits.

Despite advances in revascularization and $4 billion invested in the vascular device market, there is no scalable mechanism for real-world functional monitoring across the PAD care continuum, or for detecting early signs of intervention failure.

Introducing Grasshopper Health for PAD

With continuous gait-derived biomarkers, Grasshopper introduces a new model that is grounded in continuous data, shared insights and ecosystem collaboration.

Grasshopper can help with:

Surfacing subtle deterioration after revascularization that may indicate restenosis or reduced perfusion
Monitoring adherence and response to exercise therapy in real-world settings
Flagging deviations from expected recovery trajectories
Supporting proactive clinical decision-making before critical limb ischemia develops

This shifts PAD care from reactive to proactive and enables earlier, more targeted interventions when they matter most.

An Overview of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

PAD is a chronic and common cardiovascular condition, often mistaken for normal aging, in which arterial narrowing in the legs limits blood flow.

Symptoms include pain, fatigue or numbness during walking, progressing in severe cases to tissue damage and limb loss.

More than 10 million Americans affected, with ~150,000 lower-limb amputations annually – a rising prevalence driven by an aging population.

The Gait Footprint of PAD

Individuals with Peripheral Artery Disease consistently exhibit changes in their gait, such as:

Slower walking speed
Shorter step length
Reduced joint mobility
Altered gait kinetics

Until now, these signals were largely confined to lab or clinic settings. With Grasshopper’s discreet, sacrum-mounted Axis Patch™, real-world walking data is continuously captured and translated into objective, clinically meaningful biomarkers, integrated directly into Electronic Health Records.

Partnering with the AHA/PAD Collaborative

Grasshopper Health is aligned with the mission of the American Health Association’s PAD Collaborative to improve outcomes through earlier insights, coordinated care and longitudinal patient engagement.

By introducing gait measurement into the PAD ecosystem, Grasshopper enables scalable population monitoring to support quality improvement initiatives championed by the PAD Collaborative. This partnership-oriented approach transforms PAD management from episodic evaluation to continuous, learning-driven care.

How Continuous Analysis Helps

The Axis Patch^™ supports clinicians to: