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 .
Beneficial effects of combined colestipol-niacin therapy on coronary atherosclerosis and coronary venous bypass grafts.
The Cholesterol-Lowering Atherosclerosis Study ( CLAS ) was a r and omized , placebo-controlled , angiographic trial testing combined colestipol hydrochloride and niacin therapy in 162 nonsmoking men aged 40 to 59 years with previous coronary bypass surgery . During two years of treatment there was a 26 % reduction in total plasma cholesterol , a 43 % reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , plus a simultaneous 37 % elevation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol . This result ed in a significant reduction in the average number of lesions per subject that progressed ( P less than .03 ) and the percentage of subjects with new atheroma formation ( P less than .03 ) in native coronary arteries . Also , the percentage of subjects with new lesions ( P less than .04 ) or any adverse change in bypass grafts ( P less than .03 ) was significantly reduced . Deterioration in overall coronary status was significantly less in drug-treated subjects than placebo-treated subjects ( P less than .001 ) . Atherosclerosis regression , as indicated by perceptible improvement in overall coronary status , occurred in 16.2 % of colestipol-niacin treated vs 2.4 % placebo treated ( P = .002 )
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 .