Table 1. Search strategy used in the Cochrane Library.

Lines	Search terms	Numbers of records
#1	MeSH descriptor: [Peripheral Arterial Disease] explode all trees	1,039
#2	MeSH descriptor: [Arterial Occlusive Diseases] explode all trees	12,019
#3	MeSH descriptor: [Peripheral Vascular Diseases] explode all trees	3,211
#4	#1 OR #2 OR #3	13,967
#5	(Peripheral Arterial Disease*) OR (Arterial Occlusive Disease*) OR (Arterial Obstructive Disease*) OR (Vascular Disease*) OR (Peripheral Vascular Disease*) OR (Peripheral Angiopath*)	29,451
#6	MeSH descriptor: [Anticoagulants] explode all trees	4,596
#7	(Anticoagulant Agent*) OR (Anticoagulant Drug*) OR (Anticoagulant) OR (Indirect Thrombin Inhibitor*)	6,517
#8	MeSH descriptor: [Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors] explode all trees	3,870
#9	(Blood Platelet Antiaggregant*) OR (Platelet Antiaggregant*) OR (Platelet Aggregation Inhibitor*) OR (Blood Platelet Aggregation Inhibitor*) OR (Platelet Inhibitor*) OR (Antiplatelet Agent*) OR (Antiplatelet Drug*) OR (Platelet Antagonist*) OR (Blood Platelet Antagonist*)	11,027
#10	#4 OR #5	38,968
#11	#6 OR #7	9,747
#12	#8 OR #9	11,027
#13	#10 AND (#11 OR #12)	3,231
#14	in Cochrane Reviews	370