Contemporary and optimal medical management of peripheral arterial disease.

Atherosclerotic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a highly prevalent condition associated with a significant increase in risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. PAD is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Treatment is focused on (1) lowering cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular disease event rates and (2) improvement in symptoms and quality of life. Multidisciplinary and intersociety guidelines guide optimal medical therapy. Substantial evidence supports implementation of tobacco cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy to help achieve tobacco abstinence, antiplatelet therapy, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) therapy, and antihypertensive therapy for the purpose of lowering cardiovascular event rates and improving survival.