A 67-year-old woman with long-standing diabetes and hypertension presents with exertional calf pain relieved by rest. Ankle-brachial index is 0.6 in t...

Question

A 67-year-old woman with long-standing diabetes and hypertension presents with exertional calf pain relieved by rest. Ankle-brachial index is 0.6 in the symptomatic leg. She smokes one pack per day. Which intervention is most important to reduce her risk of cardiovascular events?

Accepted Answer

Aggressive smoking cessation and antiplatelet therapy

Answer

Start cilostazol for claudication

Answer

Supervised exercise therapy only

Answer

Begin full-dose rivaroxaban monotherapy

Answer

Refer immediately for surgical bypass

us-abim MCQ (SBA): Peripheral Artery Disease

A 67-year-old woman with long-standing diabetes and hypertension presents with exertional calf pain relieved by rest. Ankle-brachial index is 0.6 in the symptomatic leg. She smokes one pack per day. Which intervention is most important to reduce her risk of cardiovascular events?