ABSTRACT
Introduction Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a major cause of disability, loss of work, and lifestyle limitations. Atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease accounts for an age-adjusted prevalence of 12% in the United States.1 Limb loss is a catastrophic event associated with severe physical and emotional disability. Cerebrovascular strokes account for 500 000 deaths per year in the United States. Furthermore, half of the patients that survive a stroke are permanently disabled.2 Peripheral vascular disease has also been linked with an increased risk of mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). A study of 2871 consecutive patients discharged after CABG indicated that even after successful revascularization, patients with PVD faced substantially higher mortality rates.3 All these facts support the institution of aggressive strategies towards the prevention and treatment of PVD. With an aging population that is surviving coronary events, cardiologists will play a more global role in the management of vascular disease since patients seeking treatment for coronary disease may turn to them to direct the care for their PVD.
