Intermittent claudication

Patients should be encouraged to "stop smoking and keep walking," and drugs should include aspirin (or clopidogrel), a statin, a blood pressure lowering agent, and an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor.

Vasodilators such as naftidrofuryl or cilostazol might be considered in patients who have claudication symptoms that are refractory to conventional treatment. However, their role will probably remain uncertain until it is shown in RCTs that they provide incremental benefit in patients receiving currently established treatments that reduce systemic complications and leg symptoms.

 

Effect of behaviour modification and medical treatments for peripheral artery disease on cardiovascular risk reduction and claudication symptoms5

Drug or intervention Cardiovascular risk reduction Improvement in claudication
Smoking cessation Yes Yes
Exercise Yes Yes
Antiplatelet treatment (such as aspirin, clopidogrel) Yes Yes
Statins Yes Yes
Blood pressure reduction Yes Yes
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors Yes Possibly
Cilostazol No Yes