Prevalence, risk factors and rheological profile of arterial vascular disease; first results of the Aachen study.

During a prospective cohort-study of several year's duration the results of a survey regarding prevalence of arterial occlusive disease, as well as classical risk factors and rheological profile of patients suffering from vascular disease were examined. 364 patients out of a total of 2,498 individuals suffered from vascular disease. 168 (6.7%) had cardiovascular, 151 (6.0%) cerebrovascular and 109 (4.4%) peripheral vascular disease. Compared to to healthy individuals, the patients showed a significant accumulation of classical risk factors (elevated cholesterol and triglyceride values, decreased HDL-cholesterol concentration, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, gout or diabetes mellitus). Only 30.2% of the healthy controls presented two or more risk factors, whereas the angiological patients showed two or more risk factors in 71.9%. Rheological parameters measured in the survey were: Plasma viscosity, erythrocyte and platelet aggregation, erythrocyte rigidity and hematocrit. Only 14.2% of the healthy individuals had two or more rheological parameters exceeding the 1-s range, whereas 56.6% of the patients showed two or more elevated rheological parameters.