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 .
Reducing blood cholesterol levels in patients with peripheral vascular disease: dietitian or diet fact sheet?
A r and omized trial was performed to test the hypothesis that , among patients with peripheral vascular disease , no difference is achieved in the magnitude of the reduction in blood cholesterol levels as a result of advice which is provided by a dietitian and that which is provided by a diet fact sheet .  Fifty-nine patients were allocated at r and om either to a " dietitian " group ( n = 31 ) or to a " diet fact sheet " group ( n = 28 ) . Dietary advice which was provided by a dietitian involved two personal interviews ; the diet fact sheet was prepared by the NSW Department of Health . Twenty-two and 23 members of each group , respectively , returned for follow-up at three months . The mean cholesterol level fell by 8.5 % among the " dietitian " group but only by 1.9 % among the " diet fact sheet " group . The difference of 0.47 mmol/L in the total cholesterol level reduction between the two groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.02 ; 95 % confidence interval , -0.88 to -0.07 mmol/L ) . It appears that individual advice which is provided by a dietitian is more successful in leading to a reduction in blood cholesterol levels than is the administration of a diet fact sheet , even though this particular diet fact sheet appears to be excellent and is used widely . In view of the large numbers of patients and of persons in the population as a whole who would benefit from a reduction in blood cholesterol levels , and the expense of individual advice to be provided by a dietitian , explorations of cost-effective methods of providing dietary advice are needed
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 .