Natural History of Peripheral Arterial Disease

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease is a common condition, particularly in the elderly, but is the least frequently studied and the least well understood of the major atherosclerotic diseases. DESIGN NARRATIVE: Veterans Administration Patient Study: The progression of PAD was followed in patients diagnosed at the San Diego VA Medical Center from July 1984 to June 1989. Four non-invasive tests used in the initial diagnosis were repeated after a five year interval. The tests included segmental blood pressure flow velocity by Doppler ultrasound, post-occlusive reactive hyperemia, and pulse reappearance time. Risk factors examined for related to PAD included cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, lipids and lipoproteins, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, diabetes history, immunoglobulin E, and creatinine. The degree of concordance between PAD and carotid disease was evaluated using phonoangiography. Community Follow-up Study: The study was conducted in a cohort first examined for PAD in 1978-1981 and followed for morbidity and mortality. The study completion date listed in this record was obtained from the "End Date" entered in the Protocol Registration and Results System (PRS) record.