Clinical perspectives on the role of anti-platelet and statin therapy in patients with vascular diseases.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis and is associated with a several-fold increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Statins and anti-platelet therapy have been unequivocally shown to be beneficial in patients with coronary artery disease, but minimal data exist on the effectiveness of these agents in patients with PAD and those undergoing peripheral vascular interventions. One recent study has demonstrated that statins are very effective as secondary preventive measures in patients with PAD but continue to be underutilized in this cohort. In our institutional peripheral interventional database, after adjustment for demographics and comorbidities, statin therapy (OR=0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.86, p=0.03) and clopidogrel therapy (OR=0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.78, p=0.02) were both associated with a significant reduction of the composite event rate of death, myocardial infarction and stroke at 6 months. In this article, we critically review the existing literature on the role of anti-platelet and statin therapy in reducing cardiovascular events in patients with PAD. Appropriate use of these agents may significantly decrease the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of patients with PAD.