The best treatment for PAD depends on a number of factors, including your overall health and the seriousness of the disease. In some cases, lifestyle changes are enough to halt the progress of PAD and manage the disease. Sometimes, medications or procedures that open up clogged blood vessels are prescribed to treat PAD. If decreased blood flow to the legs is causing injury to the feet and toes, a foot care program to prevent sores or infection may be prescribed. This may include referral to a podiatrist. Lifestyle - Often PAD can be treated with lifestyle changes. Smoking cessation and a structured exercise program are often all that is needed to alleviate symptoms and prevent further progression of the disease. Like many patients with coronary artery disease caused by atherosclerosis, PAD patients frequently have elevated cholesterol levels that contribute to the disease. A low fat diet and other cholesterol-lowering strategies are often part of a treatment plan. Medication - For many patients, lifestyle changes combined with medication can control the symptoms of PAD. Drugs that lower cholesterol or control high blood pressure may be prescribed. New medications that help prevent blood clots or the build up of plaque in the arteries, or that reduce the pain of PAD, also are appropriate for some patients. Angioplasty and stenting - Interventional radiologists pioneered angioplasty and stenting, which was first performed to treat peripheral arterial disease. Using imaging for guidance, the interventional radiologist threads a catheter through the femoral artery in the groin, to the blocked artery in the legs. Then the interventional radiologist inflates a balloon to open the blood vessel where it is narrowed or blocked. In some cases this is then held open with a stent, a tiny metal cylinder. This is a minimally invasive treatment that does not require surgery, just a nick in the skin the size of a pencil tip. Cryoplasty - Cryoplasty is the newest type of angioplasty that uses a freezing technique to open the artery. In the smallest vessels, the artery is more likely to renarrow over time. In these cases, cryoplasty may be a better choice. In this newer procedure the balloon is filled with nitrous oxide which freezes the plaque inside the artery during the angioplasty. Freezing the plaque causes cell death in the plaque and breaks up the plaque. This is believed to aid in reshaping the plaque with minimal injury or inflammation to the vessel wall. Surgery - Surgery is sometimes required to remove blockages from arteries or to bypass the clogged area. These procedures are performed by vascular surgeons. | 
