Effective Therapies for Intermittent Claudication
Abstract
Supervised exercise programs are recommended to produce clinically significant improvements in walking distance in patients with stable intermittent claudication. (Strength of Recommendation [SOR]: A, based on systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials [RCTs].) Antiplatelet agents, statins, and pentoxifylline (Trental) can be prescribed to patients with claudication to improve walking distance. (SOR: B, based on systematic reviews of low-quality RCTs.) In most patients, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) generally is not recommended. (SOR: B, based on systematic reviews of low-quality RCTs.) Direct comparison of effective therapies is not possible because of heterogeneous study populations and outcome measures.
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