The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in relationship with cardiovascular risk factors in Romania.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents a disease with high prevalence and related mortality and morbidity. However, there are spearing epidemiological information regarding PAD in Romania. The objective of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of PAD in relationship with cardiovascular risk factors (RF) in Romania.

Methods: In the study we randomly enrolled a number of 796 patients aged over 40 from those persons presenting during a 3 month period at the warding rooms in The Emergency Hospital in Bucharest. For every patient a questionnaire was completed containing demographical data, information about personal RF and history of atherothrombotic cardio-vascular disease and also information about patient's treatment. For each patient the height, the weight, waist circumference and ankle-brachial index (ABI) have been measured.

Results: The prevalence of PAD was 18.7%, 79.19% from patients being newly diagnosed. Multivascular atherothrombotic disease was noted in 16.1% of PAD patients. FR related with the presence of PAD were age, diabetes mellitus (DM), smoking and former coronary disease. Smoking and DM represented the most unfavourable risk factors association in respect with PAD.

Conclusions: We found a high prevalence of PAD but comparable with that one reported in other European countries. The majority of the patients were newly diagnosed. The RF most frequented encountered have been DM and smoking, their association conducing to further increase in risk of having PAD. We appreciate the necessity of active identification of PAD by means of ABI measurement in patients with RF or other cardiovascular disease.