Drug Therapy
In addition to reducing risk factors, drugs are also used to help prevent and/or treat PAD.
There are two types of drugs used to prevent clots from blocking the arteries:
Anti-platelets
Anti-platelet drugs interact with the blood platelets. The drug prevents the platelets from clumping together and forming clots over the plaque ruptures caused by atherothrombosis.
Anti-coagulants
Anti-coagulants prevent the liver from making certain factors which are important in forming clots. This reduces the risk of clots forming in a different way than anti-platelets.
Patients diagnosed with PAD will require full cardiovascular risk factor management e.g. antiplatelets, antihypertensives, lipid-lowering and glycaemic control.