ABSTRACT
Introduction Vascular diseases leading to wounds and chronic ulcers affect greater than 1% of
the adult population and nearly 5% of the population over 65 years of age. The low blood flow state that occurs in many vascular conditions and its sequelae, ischemia and venous stasis, cause maladaptive changes in cell function and maintenance. These changes include a decreased ability for cells to use oxidative radicals to fight bacteria and a propensity towards cellular apoptosis, or cell death. The combined effect of these changes leads to tissue breakdown and high levels of bacterial invasion, estab lishing chronic, nonhealing ulcers.
