Scotland eyes stenting to treat lower-limb PAD (peripheral arterial disease):
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Scotland has decided not to conduct a health technology assessment on the use of stents in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of the lower limbs, but calls for research to be conducted in this area. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland found that current evidence would add little or no value to the study Endovascular stents for intermittent claudication, published by the Cochrane Review in 2002. Scotland's HTA body believes that "high quality randomised controlled trials are imperative" to determine whether percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) combined with stenting is clinically and cost effective in the treatment of PAD. Lower-limb PAD affects some 3% of people aged under 60 years and 20% of under-75s. The main symptom of PAD is intermittent claudication, which includes activity-induced pain and weakness. Treatment options include bypass surgery, endarterectomy and PTA (with or without a stent).