Lipid-lowering therapy is effective in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in people with PAD .
It may also improve local symptoms .
Until further evidence on the relative effectiveness of different lipid-lowering agents is available , use of a statin in people with PAD and a blood cholesterol level > /=3.5 mmol/litre is most indicated
BACKGROUND Lipid-lowering therapy is recommended for secondary prevention in people with coronary artery disease .
It may also reduce cardiovascular events and /or local disease progression in people with lower limb peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on all-cause mortality , cardiovascular events and local disease progression in patients with PAD of the lower limb .
Fish oil supplementation in patients with stable claudication.
Increased blood viscosity occurs in patients with claudication . This increase in viscosity , which is mainly due to elevated fibrinogen levels and a decreased red cell deformability , adversely influences blood flow . In addition to a positive effect on blood pressure , blood lipids , and platelet responsiveness , fish oil may improve blood flow due to a favorable influence on hemorrheology . In a prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind study , we evaluated the effect of six capsules of fish oil ( 1.8 g eicosapentaenoic acid and 1.2 g docosahexaenoic acid ) versus six capsules of corn oil ( 3 g linoleic acid ) , administered for 4 months , on walking distances , pressure indices during rest and after exercise , blood pressure , red cell deformability , fibrinogen , and lipid levels in 32 patients with stable claudication . No significant changes in walking distances and pressure indices during rest and after exercise occurred , despite a significant increase in red cell deformability in the fish oil group . Fibrinogen levels did not change in either group . In the fish oil group , a favorable change in blood lipids was noted ; high-density cholesterol increased and triglycerides decreased . Mean arterial blood pressure declined to a similar extent in both groups . Thus , short-term supplementation with fish oil does not lead to clinical ly significant improvement of symptoms in patients with stable claudication . This suggests that red cell deformability is of minor importance in the arterial blood flow in the legs of these patients
Lipid-lowering therapy is effective in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in people with PAD .
It may also improve local symptoms .
Until further evidence on the relative effectiveness of different lipid-lowering agents is available , use of a statin in people with PAD and a blood cholesterol level > /=3.5 mmol/litre is most indicated
BACKGROUND Lipid-lowering therapy is recommended for secondary prevention in people with coronary artery disease .
It may also reduce cardiovascular events and /or local disease progression in people with lower limb peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on all-cause mortality , cardiovascular events and local disease progression in patients with PAD of the lower limb .