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Epidemiology of Vascular Disease

  • Section 1: A Global Approach to Vascular Disease
  • Published:
Disease Management & Health Outcomes

Summary

Although the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) varies with geographical location, it consistently increases with age. Lower rates of CAD in females before the seventh decade can be explained by the protective effect of estrogen during the reproductive period.

With regard to the ‘classical’ risk factors, PAD is predominantly linked to smoking, CVD to hypertension and CAD to raised plasma levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol. In patients with diabetes mellitus, smaller vessels are also affected. The clinical relevance of additional risk factors, such as increased levels of fibrinogen, apolipoprotein(a) and homocyst(e)ine, remains uncertain. Both the progression of atherosclerosis and the prevalence of related disorders may be reduced by managing the predominant risk factors, which includes appropriate changes in lifestyle.

Because of their common aetiopathology, a high co-morbidity exists among the different manifestations of vascular disease. Patients suffering from PAD are at a considerable risk of dying from myocardial infarction and stroke, and this increases with the severity of the disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Angiology, Medical School of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Ludwig Caspary

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  1. Ludwig Caspary
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Caspary, L. Epidemiology of Vascular Disease. Dis-Manage-Health-Outcomes 2 (Suppl 1), 9–17 (1997). https://doi.org/10.2165/00115677-199700021-00004

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00115677-199700021-00004

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