Statin Therapy and Adverse Limb Outcomes in PAD
Our analysis of a large international cohort of patients with established PAD indicates that the use of statins remains suboptimal, especially in patients without coexisting CAD. Patients who were taking statins had a significantly lower risk of adverse limb and systemic cardiovascular outcomes at 4 years. It is imperative to identify barriers to patient and physician compliance with statin use across the entire spectrum of PAD patients. In addition, future research should focus on identifying a possible dose–response relationship between statin use and limb outcomes, and also whether different LDL cholesterol targets may be necessary to prevent progressive PAD vs. progressive cardiovascular outcomes in these patients.
Conclusion
Our analysis of a large international cohort of patients with established PAD indicates that the use of statins remains suboptimal, especially in patients without coexisting CAD. Patients who were taking statins had a significantly lower risk of adverse limb and systemic cardiovascular outcomes at 4 years. It is imperative to identify barriers to patient and physician compliance with statin use across the entire spectrum of PAD patients. In addition, future research should focus on identifying a possible dose–response relationship between statin use and limb outcomes, and also whether different LDL cholesterol targets may be necessary to prevent progressive PAD vs. progressive cardiovascular outcomes in these patients.
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