Peripheral Vascular Disease Management
Aka: Peripheral Vascular Disease Management, Claudication Management, Peripheral Arterial Disease Management
II. Background
- Claudication is very disabling
- Consider intensive management in all patients
III. Protocol: Overall (See agents below)
- Ankle-Brachial Index < 0.3
- Treat as Limb Threatening Ischemia (emergent surgical management)
- Ankle-Brachial Index 0.3 to 1.0
- Step 1: Risk factor modification for 3 months
- Step 2: No change in 3 months after step 1
- Add Cilostazol (Pletal) to regimen for 3 months
- High side effect profile (Dizziness, GI symptoms)
- Avoid Pletal in Congestive Heart Failure
- Pletal 100 mg twice daily (50 mg twice daily if also on Calcium Channel Blocker)
- Add Cilostazol (Pletal) to regimen for 3 months
- Step 3: No change in 3 months after step 2
- Evaluate for possible surgery (see below)
- Ankle-Brachial Index >1.0
- Consider alternative diagnosis
- See Leg Pain for differential diagnosis
- References
IV. Protocol: Evaluation for surgical intervention
- Indications
- Significant limitations refractory to other measures
- Limb-threatening ischemia (usually ABI <0.3)
- Gangrene
- Non-healing ulcers
- Rest pain
- Non-invasive Testing
- Ankle-Brachial Index (Non-specific screening)
- Segmental Arterial Pressure (Defines Occlusion site)
- Treadmill Testing
- Perform at 2 MPH at 12% grade
- Reassuring test: Patient walks >5 minutes
- Signs of significant Occlusion
- Drop in ankle systolic BP with Exercise
- Claudication limits walking to <5 minutes
- Duplex arterial Ultrasound
- Significant if Occlusion >50%
- Excellent noninvasive confirmatory test
- Helps to define surgical candidates
- Assists to risk stratify for arteriography
V. Management: General Measures for risk modification
- Cardiovascular Risk Reduction is critical
- Carries same risk as Coronary Artery Disease
- Antiplatelet Therapy (Aspirin, Clopidogrel)
- See below
- Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor (Cilostazol)
- See below
- Tobacco Cessation is the most important intervention
- Increases walking time by 6.5 minutes on average
- Exercise Program (see below)
- Specific protocol is required
- Unstructured programs (e.g. “walk more”) are not typically effective
- Maximize Diabetes Mellitus management (Hgb A1C <7%)
- Maximize Hyperlipidemia Management (LDL <100 mg/dl)
- Statin Medications (e.g. Simvastatin, Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin)
- Reduced need for revascularization, amputation and improves pain-free walk distance
- Kumbhani (2014) Eur Heart J 35(41): 2864-72 [PubMed]
- McDermott (2003) Circulation 107(5): 757-61 [PubMed]
- Maximize Hypertension Management (<130/80 mmHg)
- ACE Inhibitors may be preferred agents in PVD
- Ramapril 10 mg daily increased walk time an extra 4 minutes over 6 months
- Ahimastos (2013) JAMA 309(5): 453-60 [PubMed]
- Yusuf (2000) N Engl J Med 342:145-53 [PubMed]
- Direct Oral Anticoagulant (DOAC, e.g. Xarelto) may be considered in some patients
- Studied in combination with low dose Aspirin (81 mg) with use over 2 years
- May reduce major cardiovascular events (1 in 50) and amputations (1 in 150)
- However, risk of major bleeding events (1 in 100)
- (2019) presc lett 26(7): 38
VI. Management: Antiplatelet Medications
- Antiplatelet Medications
- Indications
- Antiplatelet agents do not decrease Claudication symptoms
- Antiplatelet agents reduce the risk of PAD associated Acute Coronary Syndrome and Cerebrovascular Accident
- First-Line agents
- Aspirin 75 to 150 mg orally daily
- Second-Line (alternatives if Aspirin intolerant)
- Indications
- Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor medications
- Cilostazol (Pletal)
- Significant benefits in Claudication distance
- Preferred agent over Pentoxifylline
- Higher frequency of adverse effects
- Contraindicated in Congestive Heart Failure
- Thompson (2002) Am J Cardiol 90:1314-9 [PubMed]
- Pentoxifylline (Trental)
- Not recommended due to low efficacy, three times daily dosing and gastrointestinal adverse effects
- Theoretically increases RBC deformity for the purpose of improving flow
- Only small benefits in Claudication distance
- Listed for historical purposes only, but if used, effects may not be evident for 3 months
- Cilostazol (Pletal)
- Anticoagulation (e.g. Rivaroxiban)
- Xarelto 2.5 mg twice daily has been used with Aspirin in CAD patients and symptomatic PAD
- Reduced cardiac associated major events, but not FDA approved for this indication
- Anand (2018) Lancet 391(10117):219-29 [PubMed]
- Xarelto 2.5 mg twice daily has been used with Aspirin in CAD patients and symptomatic PAD
VII. Management: Exercise
- Exercise Stress Test needed before vigorous activity
- Peripheral Arterial Disease is a marker for Coronary Artery Disease
- Efficacy
- Walking improves Claudication distance
- Average increase in walk distance of 5 minutes and 113 meters
- Benefits are sustained for more than 2 years
- Watson (2008) Cochrane Database Syst Rev 8(4): CD000990 [PubMed]
- Effects are equivalent to percutaneous Angioplasty in walk distance and quality of life
- Walking improves Claudication distance
- Exercise types
- Walking (standard walking or on a treadmill)
- Stair stepping
- Time for Exercise
- Start: 3-5 times per week for 30 minutes per time
- Increase by 5 minutes until 50 minutes/session
- Continue program for at least 6 months
- Supervised Exercise program has highest efficacy
- Speed and grade selection
- Intensity that provokes Claudication at 3-5 minutes
- Continue to increase intensity as ability improves
- Claudication should occur at every session
- Intermittent walking technique
- Walk until moderate to near maximal Claudication pain
- Rest briefly at severe Claudication symptoms
- Rest in sitting or standing position
- Restart walking when Claudication symptoms tolerable
- References
VIII. Management: Surgical
- Indications
- Failed maximal medical therapy (see above)
- Severe symptoms significantly reducing life quality
- Limb Threatening Ischemia
- Rest pain
- Non-healing wounds
- Gangrene
- Lesion localization
- Arterial duplex Ultrasound
- CT Angiography
- Magnetic resonance anigiography
- Angiography
- Procedures
- Angioplasty (with or without stent placement)
- Higher risk of restenosis
- Brachytherapy reduces restenosis risk
- Significantly lower risk than arterial bypass
- High efficacy in aorto-illiac (90% at five years)
- Low efficacy femoral-popliteal (<60% at five years)
- Higher risk of restenosis
- Arterial Bypass Graft
- High efficacy in aorto-illiac (90% at 5 years)
- Mod. efficacy femoral-popliteal (70-85% at 5 years)
- Higher rate of mortality (<3%)
- Intra-arterial Directed Thrombolysis (e.g. Urokinase)
- Endarterectomy
- Angioplasty (with or without stent placement)
IX. References
- Boccalon (1999) Drugs Aging 14:247
- Samuelson (March, 2000) Fed Pract, p. 34-50
- Carman (2000) Am Fam Physician 61(4):1027-32 [PubMed]
- Firnhaber (2019) Am Fam Physician 99(6): 362-9 [PubMed]
- Gardner (1995) JAMA 274(12):975-80 [PubMed]
- Gey (2004) Am Fam Physician 69:525-33 [PubMed]
- Hirsch (2001) JAMA 286(11):1317-24 [PubMed]
- Santilli (1999) Am Fam Physician 59(7):1899-908 [PubMed]
- Santilli (1996) Am Fam Physician 53(4):1245-53 [PubMed]
- (1999) Med Lett Drugs Ther 41:(1052):44-6 [PubMed]