A critical review of antiplatelet treatment in peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a clinical setting affecting more than 5% of the population older than 60. Despite the low rate of peripheral complications and amputation, PAD is complicated by a high rate of coronary and cerebral events. For this reason, PAD is considered a marker for systemic atherosclerosis and its early diagnosis may be helpful for identifying patients at risk for cardiovascular events. During these last years, many clinical trials with antiplatelet drugs have been conducted to assess if these medications are able to influence the clinical history of PAD. This review will analyse the strengths and drawbacks of these clinical trials and their impact on clinical practice. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Italia Srl.