title: Contemporary and optimal medical management of peripheral arterial disease.
abstract: Atherosclerotic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a highly prevalent condition associated with a significant increase in risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. PAD is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Treatment is focused on (1) lowering cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular disease event rates and (2) improvement in symptoms and quality of life. Multidisciplinary and intersociety guidelines guide optimal medical therapy. Substantial evidence supports implementation of tobacco cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy to help achieve tobacco abstinence, antiplatelet therapy, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) therapy, and antihypertensive therapy for the purpose of lowering cardiovascular event rates and improving survival.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Clinic Science Center, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tattersall
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008019:Life Style; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
keywords: Cardiovascular disease risk; Claudication; Optimal medical therapy; Peripheral arterial disease; Supervised exercise therapy