Current insights into drug-coated balloons for peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis. It is often associated with coronary and/or cerebral vascular involvement, leading to a higher risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, among which myocardial infarction, stroke and death. Cardiovascular prevention has proven effective in reducing the progression of the disease and early diagnosis leads to more rapid initiation of medical therapy. However, revascularization of the diseased segment represents the only solution in the manifest and symptomatic forms of the disease. Surgical treatment has historically represented the first treatment of PAD, which consists in the creation of bypasses excluding the obstructed segment. Nowadays, endovascular treatment represents in many cases the first line of intervention. Drug-coated balloons are a cornerstone solution for the treatment of peripheral lesions, and are supported by multiple trials demonstrating their efficacy and safety. New devices, such as sirolimus-eluting balloons, and also new eluting technologies will further improve the efficacy and the results of peripheral angioplasty. In the next years we will experience the routinary use of new techniques currently under study. In this review, we will discuss the role of drug-coated balloons in the treatment of PAD.