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Pharmacotherapy for Intermittent Claudication

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Peripheral Arterial Disease

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

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Abstract

Despite extensive clinical investigations over the past several decades, the development of effective pharmacotherapy for the treatment of intermittent claudication (IC) has been elusive. No pharmacologic agent has become established as the paramount therapy to alleviate the symptoms of IC. Numerous agents are available for the treatment of atherosclerosis risk factors and antiplatelet therapy to prevent cardiovascular events (see Chapter 9). For improvement in symptoms, exercise has been advocated in the treatment of IC for > 40 yr (see Chapter 8). Supervised exercise programs have been shown to improve walking distances up to 200% compared with control therapy (1). The available pharmacologic armamentarium to provide relief of symptoms is limited to a few agents, most with uncertain benefit. The growth in knowledge about the pathophysiology of limb ischemia has not translated into finding a site to direct therapy that has had clinical utility. Agents have been targeted to dilate blood vessels, improve blood rheology, enhance oxidative muscle metabolism, and inhibit platelet function.

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  1. Robert T. Eberhardt MD
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  1. Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Jay D. Coffman MD  & Robert T. Eberhardt MD  & 

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Eberhardt, R.T. (2003). Pharmacotherapy for Intermittent Claudication. In: Coffman, J.D., Eberhardt, R.T. (eds) Peripheral Arterial Disease. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-331-6_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-331-6_10

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