Insufficient modification of atherosclerosis risk factors in PAD patients

BACKGROUND: An aggressive reduction of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with intermittent claudication (IC) is extremely important. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate patients' adherence to current guidelines for the recognition and reduction of atherosclerosis risk factors in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 126 patients with PAD stage II, according to the Fontaine Classification, who over a period of 2 years attended an angiological outpatient clinic and were referred for physical rehabilitation. RESULTS: In the 77% of PAD patients diagnosed with dyslipidemia, 72% had hypertension and 31% had diabetes. Suboptimal treatment was being given to 85.5% of patients with dyslipidemia, to 26% of patients with hypertension and to 95% of diabetics. In this study, a diagnosis of dyslipidemia, hypertension and diabetes was made for the 1st time in 22%, 7% and 4% of patients, respectively. As many as 17.5% of PAD patients with claudication were not receiving any antiplatelet therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of dyslipidemia was insufficient (about 1/3 of the patients were undiagnosed), and diagnoses of hypertension and diabetes prevailed. It was established that the effective control of risk factors using relevant treatment is insufficient in dyslipidemia, hypertension and diabetes. Antiplatelet therapy was not prescribed in approx. 20% of cases.