An Ignored Disease of Cardiovascular System: Peripheral Arterial Disease-Juniper Publishers
JUNIPER PUBLISHERS - OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY & CARDIOVASCULAR THERAPY Abstract Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is the chronic and progressive deterioration of lower extremity arterial blood flow due to systemic atherosclerosis. Currently, PAD is considered not only a disorder of lower extremity circulation and but also a predictorofincreased mortality and morbidity. In prevalence surveys conducted in Turkey, the frequencyof PAD was found up to 20-30%, increasing with advancing age. The diagnosis of PAD can easily be made by the ankle brachial index measurement. The incidence of coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure is higherin individuals with PAD. In addition, in patients with coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure, cardiovascular mortality and all - cause mortality increases in the presence of PAD. In conclusion, PAD is a systemic disease and should be treated systematically and effectively in addition to interventional thera...