Highlights
PAD Guidelines
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released in 2005 updated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The guidelines emphasize that early detection and treatment of PAD can help prevent functional disability and lower the risk of death from heart disease or stroke.
Lifestyle Changes
- PAD can cause leg pain and make walking difficult. Without medical treatment or lifestyle changes, these symptoms can worsen over time. According to a 2006 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, regular exercise and stopping smoking are two essential lifestyle changes that can make an important difference.
- Although some doctors recommend that patients with PAD participate in supervised exercise programs, a 2006 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that unsupervised exercise also works well. Researchers found that walking three times a week can significantly improve walking ability and slow the progression of PAD.
Drug Treatment
Experts recommend the following drug treatments for select patients with PAD:
- Smoking cessation therapies such as nicotine replacement or bupropion
- ACE inhibitors or other drugs to control high blood pressure
- Statins to treat unhealthy cholesterol and lipid levels
- Antiplatelet therapy with aspirin or clopidogrel to reduce the risk for blood clots
- Cilostazol (Pletal) to treat intermittent claudication by improving blood flow to the legs
New Surgical Technique
Drug-coated angioplasty balloons may offer an important alternative to drug-coated stents, according to research presented at the 2005 Annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy. In this new type of angioplasty surgery, balloons are coated with the drug paclitaxel, which helps open blocked or narrowed vessels in the legs. Some experts think that this technique is a better approach than stents, which can cause complications after surgery.
