• Drug-eluting stents. Like coronary artery disease, PAD can be treated with the combination of balloon angioplasty and stenting. During this procedure, a balloon-tipped catheter is threaded to the site of the obstruction and the balloon is rapidly expanded, crushing the plaque against the arterial wall. At the same time, a tiny mesh tube called a stent is permanently implanted in the artery to keep it open. Newer stents are coated with special drugs that help reduce the rate of reclosure, or restenosis. These medicated stents are being tested for the treatment of PAD and are not currently available in the United States.  

  • Photoangioplasty. A new combination drug and laser therapy that may prove to be an effective treatment option in the future. The procedure is no more invasive than standard balloon angioplasty. A drug called texaphyrin (TEX–a–frin) is injected directly into the patient’s veins about 24 hours before the procedure. Once in the bloodstream, the drug attaches itself to areas of fatty plaque buildup. For the procedure, a fiber–optic laser threaded through the body via a catheter and into the affected areas. Once in the target area, the laser is activated and its light triggers a reaction in the drug that dissolves the plaque. Photoangioplasty is currently being tested for use in the treatment of PAD.

  • Blood testing. New blood tests, including specialized lipoprotein testing, are helping researchers to better identify people at risk from abnormal cholesterol levels. While these tests are being used mainly for identifying coronary artery disease, they can still be helpful in identifying people at elevated risk of atherosclerosis anywhere in the body. Similarly, C-reactive protein, which indicates inflammation somewhere in the body, is a blood marker that has been studied extensively in relation to heart disease risk.

  • Gene therapy. Researchers are exploring ways to transform certain tissue cells into more specialized cells. For example, some studies have injected a patient’s own bone marrow in the legs in order to trigger the growth of new blood vessels.

  • Drugs. Researchers continue to work on the development of drugs or drug combinations that can help reduce the symptoms and consequences of PAD. Some clinical trials have paired drugs with forms of exercise and studied their effect on functional skills and progression of the disease.