Original Article Peripheral arterial disease in patients with stages IV and V chronic renal failure

Background. Cardiovascular disorders are frequently found among chronic renal failure (CRF) patients due to their higher susceptibility to develop atherosclerosis. However, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), that is associated with a high mortality rate, is not usually assessed in these patients. The aims of this study are to find out the prevalence of PAD affecting lower limbs in a population of CRF patients in stages IV/V, and to assess how much PAD determines the 5-year patient survival. Methods. The study population (44 males and 29 females) was aged 58 15 years. They suffered from advanced CRF (18.6 6.1ml/min creatinine clear-ance), but they were not on dialysis. These patient