Vascular multimorbidity in patients with a documented coronary artery disease.

Atherosclerotic artery disease is a systemic vascular disorder typically involving multiple vascular territories in the same patient. To assess the prevalence and the topographic distribution of non-coronary peripheral artery disease (PAD), cerebrovascular (CVD) and renal artery disease (RAD) in patients with an angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD) a cross-sectional survey among inpatients admitted for symptoms of CAD was performed. The relationship between CAD and multiterritory vascular disease, and the major risk factors were also assessed. A total of 1855 consecutive patients, mean age 65 +/- 10.6 years (18-92 years), 1184 (63.8%) men and 671 (36.2%) women with an angiographically confirmed CAD were studied. The patients were divided into four age groups: group A < 35 years of age, group B 35 to 54 years, group C 55 to 74 years and group D > or =75 years of age. While 1265 (68.2%) had no evidence of a relevant non-coronary artery disease, in 590 (31.8%) a significant non-coronary artery disease in at least one additional major vascular territory was documented. CAD was most frequently associated with PAD in n = 176 (9.5%) patients. In 22 (1.2%), all four studied vascular territories were significantly diseased. The prevalence of the multi-territory artery disease increased with age: lowest in group A and highest in the group D. However, the data analysis by gender revealed the highest prevalence of CAD associated with PAD and RAD, respectively, in women 35 to 54 years of age. Using the multivariant logistic regression model, type II diabetes was the only major risk factor for a multi-territory expression of atherosclerosis.