A study finds that lipid-lowering therapy is associated with a significant reduction in major adverse limb events (MALE), which has important clinical implications for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) who are at increased risk of MALE.
This meta-analysis focused on identifying randomized studies that evaluated the use of lipid-lowering therapy in patients with PAD and reported MALE. The investigators searching PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, ScieLO, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Controlled Trials databases. In total, five randomized trials comprised of 11,603 patients were identified and assessed.
The researchers demonstrated that hat lipid-lowering therapy was associated with a lower incidence of MALE (OR=0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.66-0.87; I2: 28%) compared to placebo/control groups. A subsequent sensitivity analysis backed the findings as clinically robust.
The researchers concluded that this analysis “demonstrated that the use of lipid-lowering therapy compared with the placebo/control arms was associated with a marked reduction in the risk of MALE. Physicians involved in the monitoring and treatment of patients with PAD must work hard to ensure adequate lipid-lowering medication in these patients.”
