title: Concomitant peripheral vascular and coronary artery disease: a new dimension for the global endovascular specialist?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early and accurate diagnosis of peripheral atherosclerosis is of paramount importance for global ma agement of patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate retrospectively the prevalence and clinical relevance of significant abdominal vessel stenosis or aneurysm (AVA) in patients undergoing coronary angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography at two public institutions over a 12-month period were evaluated. Angiographic results of patients who underwent diagnostic abdominal aorta angiography, based on clinical criteria, to evaluate abdominal vessels the same time as coronary angiography were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, AVA was reported in 180 (35.7%) of 504 consecutive patients (335 men, mean age 68 +/- 13.8 years): renal artery stenosis was found in 13.1% of cases (66 patients), aortoiliac artery disease in 13.7% (69 patients and aortic aneurysmal disease in 8.9% (45 patients). Logistic regression analyses revealed > or = 3-vessel CAD (odds ratio [OR] 9.917, p = 0.002), age >65 years (OR 3.817, p = 0.036), > or =3 risk factors (OR 2.8, p = 0.048) as independent predictors of AVA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple vascular atherosclerotic distributions are frequent in elderly patients who have multivessel CAD and a high-risk profile, suggesting the usefulness of a more global and comprehensive cardiovascular approach.
authors.affiliation: Interventional Cardiology Unit, Division of Cardiology, Rovigo General Hospital, Rovigo, Italy. jackyheart@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rigatelli
authors.forename: Loris
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roncon
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bedendo
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Docali
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Braggion
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinuncini
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panin
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zonzin
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rigatelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies