Practical Guide about PAD

↪ Canadian Foundation for Vascular Health 14 6. How is PAD treated? 6.1. Lifestyle habit interventions i. Smoking cessation: Quitting smoking is crucial, because it slows down disease progression, improves symptoms and reduces the risk of a heart attack. As well, if surgery was performed to unblock an artery , smoking cessation helps keep the artery open longer. Healthcare professionals can provide many tips for quitting smoking and suggest medications for individuals who are ready to quit. Medications may include, for example, gum, patches and tablets. ii. Physical exercise: Physical exercise is the first-line therapy for patients with intermittent claudication and has demonstrated improvement in symptoms of pain in this populationwhenwalking. Section 7 of this guide describes exercise programs recommended for managing PAD in greater detail. 6.2. Medical interventions i. Antihypertensive treatment: Treating high blood pressure reduces adverse cardiovascular events in the general population and should be basic treatment for patients with established cardiovascular risk factors. Blood pressure targets may vary and are determined by the healthcare professional. ii. Statin therapy: Treatment with a statin (a drug which reduces bad cholesterol) is recommended for all patients with PAD, regardless of blood cholesterol level. It is reasonable to treat with the maximum dose tolerated. As well, some data suggest that claudication improves with statins. iii. Antiplatelet therapy: Antiplatelet therapy is recommended for all patients with symptomatic PAD, to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events. Possible antiplatelet therapies are clopidogrel and aspirin. iv. Anticoagulant therapy: Recent studies have shown that aspirin combined with an anticoagulant (rivaroxaban) may be beneficial 6-7 . v. Glycemic control: It is important to control glycemia (blood sugar level) in diabetic patients 2 . Adapted treatments! There are many, complementary ways of treating PAD. Treatments include changes in lifestyle habits, medication, and surgery. Your healthcare professional will discuss with you how to treat PAD, adapted to your specific situation. Do not hesitate to ask your healthcare professional questions about these different possible interventions.