High risk populations
Peripheral arterial disease is more common in these populations:
All people who have leg symptoms with exertion (suggestive of claudication) or ischemic rest pain
All people aged 65 years and over regardless of risk factor status
All people between 50 and 69 and who have a cardiovascular risk factor (particularly diabetes or smoking)
Age less than 50 years, with diabetes and one other atherosclerosis risk factor (smoking, dyslipidemia, hypertension, or hyperhomocysteinemia)
Individuals with an abnormal lower extremity pulse examination
Those with known atherosclerotic coronary, carotid, or renal artery disease
All people with a Framingham risk score of 10%–20%
All people who have previously experienced chest pain

Mechanism
As previously mentioned, the most common cause of peripheral artery disease, especially in patients over 40 years old, is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of the arteries caused by lipid or fat build up and calcium deposition in the wall of the affected arteries. The most commonly affected site occurs at arterial branch points, because there is an increase in turbulence and stress on the artery at these areas where the artery branches to supply distant structures. Disease of distant structures, including feet and toes, are usually caused by diabetes and seen in the elderly population.Additional mechanisms of peripheral artery disease including arterial spasm, thrombosis, and fibromuscular dysplasia. The mechanism of arterial spasm is still being studied, but it can occur secondary to trauma. The symptoms of claudication ensue when the artery spasms, or clamps down on itself, creating an obstruction. Similar to atherosclerosis, this leads to decreased blood flow to the tissue downstream of the obstruction.
While there is a general correlation between the size of units, the area within which they operate, and the scope of mission they perform, the correlation is not absolute. In fact, it is ultimately the mission that a unit performs that determines the level of war within which it operates. Operational level of war
The operational level of war occupies roughly the middle ground between the campaigns strategic focus and the tactics of an engagement. It describes "a distinct intermediate level of war between military strategy, governing war in general, and tactics, involving individual battles". For example, during World War II, the concept applied to use of Soviet Tank Armies. See also
Civil-military operations
Effects-Based Operations (EBO)
List of military operations
List of coalition military operations of the Iraq War
List of World War II military operations
Military operation plan
Military operations other than war (MOOTW)
Offensive (military)
Operational View (OV)

Notes
References
Armstrong, Richard N. Red Army Tank Commanders: The Armored Guards. Atglen, Penn. : Schiffer Military History, 1994. ISBN 0-88740-581-9. Glantz, David M. Soviet Military Operational Art: In Pursuit of Deep Battle. London: Frank Cass, 1991. ISBN 0-7146-3362-3, ISBN 0-7146-4077-8.