Medical Management of Lower Extremity Manifestations of Peripheral Artery Disease

Abstract

Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects eight million people in the United States and over 200 million men and women worldwide. Furthermore, recent evidence from the Global Disease Burden suggests that the prevalence of PAD increased worldwide by 20% between 2000 and 2010. Patients with PAD are at increased risk for cardiovascular events, functional impairment, and mobility loss. With advancements in medical science and improved treatments for cardiovascular disease, rates of cardiovascular events have declined in the United States and in other high socioeconomic countries. Consequently, people are living longer with chronic debilitating diseases, such as PAD. Optimal medical management of patients with PAD is essential to help these patients survive longer with optimal quality of life and without disability. This review covers medical therapies to improve lower extremity functioning in people with PAD, additional medications to improve walking performance in PAD, and both walking and nonwalking exercise interventions for lower extremity PAD, Tables outline outcome measures typically used to assess improvement in response to medical therapies for PAD; FDA-approved medications and medications that may be beneficial but are not FDA-approved for intermittent claudication symptoms; exercise therapies that benefit patients with PAD; and additional considerations regarding exercise therapy in PAD. Graphs showcase ramipril versus placebo and changes in walking time according to home-based versus supervised walking exercise. This review contains 2 figures, 5 tables, and 68 references.