ISBN-13: 9781499256307 / Angielski / Miękka / 2014 / 154 str.
ISBN-13: 9781499256307 / Angielski / Miękka / 2014 / 154 str.
Lower extremity disease (LED) is a chronic, disabling disease that negatively influences the quality of life particularly in elderly and diabetic populations. The primary etiologic causes of LED are peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and peripheral neuropathy (PN) and in association with foot deformities may result in disabling complications such as ulcers, gangrene, and amputation. In the early stages of disease, a significant proportion of the population are asymptomatic but some of the identified risk factors include age, male sex, hypertension, hyperlipedemia, smoking, diabetes, and nutritional deficiencies. As the population ages, LED will become a major public health problem that will have an impact on health care costs and human suffering. Increasing the knowledge of the prevalence of LED and the associated risk factors may lead to early intervention and prevention of the disabling consequences of this disease.