Contemporary Medical Therapies for Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease and Concomitant Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Review of Current Evidence

Purpose of Review The purpose of this review is to highlight the evidence behind landmark trials involving these two novel drug classes in conjunction with a review of long-standing therapies used to improve cardiovascular (CV) outcomes among patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recent Findings Recently, societal guideline recommendations have expanded the management of T2DM to incorporate therapies with CV risk factor modification. This is due to CV outcome trials (CVOT) uncovering advantageous cardioprotective effects of several novel therapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). Providers who manage high-risk patients with T2DM, such as those with concomitant PAD, are expected to incorporate these novel medical therapies into routine patient care. Summary The body of evidence surrounding GLP-1 RA demonstrates a strong benefit in mitigating the innate heightened CV risk among patients with T2DM. Furthermore, SGLT2i not only have a favorable CV profile but also reduce the risk of HF hospitalizations and progression of renal disease. Patients with T2DM and PAD are known to be at a heightened risk for major adverse cardiac and lower extremity events, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. As such, the use of novel therapies such as GLP-RA and SGLT2i should be strongly considered to minimize morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable population.