Peripheral arterial disease treatment

Exercise

NICE recommends a supervised exercise programme, usually 2 hours a week for 3 months. Walking until the pain is nearly at its worst, resting, then walking again helps new blood vessels grow and improves how far you can walk.

Stopping smoking

Stopping smoking is the most important thing you can do. It slows the disease and lowers your risk of losing a limb, a heart attack or a stroke. Your local stop smoking service can help for free.

Medicines

• an antiplatelet, such as clopidogrel, to lower the risk of clots
• a statin to lower cholesterol
• medicines for high blood pressure and diabetes, if needed
• naftidrofuryl may help you walk further if exercise has not helped enough

Angioplasty and surgery

If symptoms are severe or the blood supply is very poor, you may be offered:

• angioplasty, where a small balloon widens the artery, sometimes with a stent
• bypass surgery, where a blood vessel is used to go around the blockage

In the most serious cases, when tissue has died, an amputation may be needed.