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Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) could be in for quite a breakthrough and this may all fall at the hands of one drug, Statins. People dealing with PAD would be at risk of possible amputation or death but a new study claims that higher dosages of the drug could render immense benefits.

Statins are normally used to lower blood cholesterol levels but a study made by the Emory University School of Medicine finds that the drug could give PAD-inflicted folks lower risk if it is taken in higher doses leading to optimal results.

“PAD, a narrowing of the peripheral arteries to the legs, stomach, arms and head, is the next cardiovascular epidemic,” said Shipra Arya, M.D., study lead author and assistant professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery at the university.

The problem he singles out though improved research on Statins and the benefits it stands to deliver will be a need with most focusing more on heart disease than PAD. Regardless, his initial research could be a good way to spur up more research on the medical dilemma.

Arya led the research where about 208,000 veterans diagnosed with PAD participated. The vets were divided into three groups where one took higher doses of statins, the second taking it moderately and the third abstaining from the Statins drug. Below are the results via the Science Daily.

• A 33% lower risk of amputation and 29% lower risk of death among PAD patients taking high doses of statins, compared to those taking no statins.
• A 22% lower risk of amputation and death among PAD patients taking low to moderate doses of statins, compared to those taking no statins.

While the research is a starting point, it is also considered one of the large-based studies governing PADS and the impact of the statins drug.

It suggested that patients dealing with PAD consider statins in high dosages though he did stress that it still depends on how well patients can handle and tolerate intake plus other medications that include therapies and smoking cessation.

To date, PAD is one of the leading epidemic health problems in the US lacking analysis and treatment with the focus more on heart disease. Dr. Arya hopes the research can somehow help and entice other scientists to indulge in more PAD research.