A cholesterol-lowering drug has been found helpful in those with peripheral artery disease.

Around five per cent of people aged 60 or older suffer from claudication - pain on walking, which is a symptom of peripheral artery disease (PAD). In PAD, plaque on the walls of the arteries in the legs impedes the circulation. The condition is linked to coronary artery disease.

In a new study, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US find that a daily dose of the statin atorvastatin improves claudication. They studied a group of 354 people intheir sixties and found that those on either 10 milligrams or 80 milligrams of atorvastatin could walk further without pain than those on placebo.

The drug also lowered cholesterol levels. It may be that claudication is improved through reduction of plaque in the arteries, which could boost the circulation. What is more, claudication progressed in only 1.3 per cent of those on atorvastatin, compared to 7.9 per cent of those on placebo.

Source

Circulation rapid-access 2nd September 2003