[Key aspects of drug therapy in vascular surgery]

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is one of the most common manifestations of systemic atherosclerosis. PAD affects millions of people worldwide, thus greatly contributing to the structure of mortality and disability of the population of developed countries. Along with surgical revascularization, pharmacotherapy is becoming increasingly important in improving the prognosis in such patients. Modern clinical guidelines define optimal therapy for patients with PAD as simultaneous prescription of several classes of drugs (hypolipidemic, antithrombotic, antihypertensive and, probably, vasodilators), thus making it necessary for the surgeon to take into consideration possible drug interactions. This literature review presents the evolution of evidence-based approaches to drug therapy and an algorithm of choosing drugs, depending on initial risk for ischaemic events in patients with peripheral arterial disease.