ABSTRACT
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a leading cause of disability in the elderly and has been identified as a significant marker of coronary artery disease (1, 2). The incidence of intermittent claudication alone has been estimated at 20 per 1000 men and women 65 years of age and older (3). These numbers can only be expected to increase as the number of elderly persons in the United States continues to rise. Vascular surgery and other revascularization procedures relieve symptoms and save limbs, but do nothing to modify the underlying atherosclerotic disease process. Without aggressive medical management, this systemic disease will markedly increase morbidity and mortality for these patients. Whether treating cardiac patients who coincidentally have PAD, patients whose primary diagnosis is PAD, or patients who have undergone revascularization, a vascular rehabilitation program (VRP) provides the assistance and information they need to improve and maintain optimal vascular health.
