Epidemiological characteristics of peripheral artery disease: retrospective study.

UNLABELLED Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common condition. Over the past 20 years the risk factors for PAD have changed. AIMS To identify the regional characteristics of the patients with PAD and the sex- and urban/rural-related differences. MATERIAL AND METHODS Retrospective study on patients admitted to the Iasi "St. Spiridon' University Hospital in the interval 2007-2012. The dataset was prepared for t student analysis in in view of determining statistical significance. RESULTS Of the 361,248 patients admitted to the 20 units of the hospital, 2,623 patients were diagnosed with advanced stages of PAD (Leriche--Fontain III and IV). Significant statistical differences were found between men and women, and between rural and urban men (p = 0.001). 20.5% of the patients underwent amputations. CONCLUSIONS This is one of the first studies that has identified urban/rural differences. The characteristics specific to PAD patients from North-Eastern Romania are presented.