Cilostazol and Heart Health: Benefits, Risks, and How It Stacks Up
Explore how Cilostazol works, its heart health benefits, risks, and how it compares to aspirin and clopidogrel for patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Read MoreWhen dealing with Peripheral Arterial Disease, a condition where narrowed arteries limit blood flow to the legs and feet. Also known as PAD, it often goes unnoticed until pain, cramping, or non‑healing wounds appear.
PAD shares many of the same vascular culprits as deep vein thrombosis, a clot that forms in deep leg veins. Both diseases thrive on poor circulation and can signal an underlying atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque inside arteries. When plaque builds up, arteries stiffen, blood flow drops, and the risk of clot formation rises – a classic chain that links DVT and PAD.
Risk factors read like a checklist: smoking, high blood pressure, and especially diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition that damages blood vessels. Diabetes accelerates plaque growth, making limb ischemia happen faster. Even everyday activities can become a challenge when the ankle‑brachial index (ABI) falls below 0.9, a simple test that clinicians use to confirm PAD.
Treatment starts with lifestyle tweaks—regular walking, quitting tobacco, and tight glucose control. Medically, doctors often prescribe isosorbide mononitrate to widen vessels and reduce claudication pain. In more severe cases, angioplasty, stenting, or bypass surgery can restore flow. Monitoring also matters: regular foot checks, proper footwear, and prompt attention to any sores can prevent infections and amputations.
The articles below dive deeper into each of these areas. You’ll find step‑by‑step guides on DVT risk management, clear explanations of how diabetes technology helps control blood sugar, and practical advice on using medications like isosorbide mononitrate safely. Together they give a full picture of how to spot, manage, and treat PAD effectively.
Explore how Cilostazol works, its heart health benefits, risks, and how it compares to aspirin and clopidogrel for patients with peripheral arterial disease.
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