Background: The purpose of our study was to observe risks and frequency of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients who had peripheral occlusive vascular disease (POVD) but who did not have symptoms of CAD, to determine whether the severity and rate of atherosclerosis risk factors were different in these patients and whether it was possible to predict the concurrence of these diseases by means of tests.

Methods: Seventy patients who underwent medical or surgical treatment because of CAD and POVD after May 2005 were enrolled in the study. Patients with POVD was called group 1 and those who did not have POVD but only CAD were called group 2. Group 1 (n=44) was divided into two subgroups according to presence of additional CAD (group 1a, n=27) or absence of CAD (group 1b, n=17). There were 26 patients in group 2. Groups were compared with respect to age, gender, risk factors of atherosclerosis, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, iron, ferritin.

Results: Frequency of CAD in patients who had POVD was 61.36%. There was a significant difference between group 1 and 2 in terms of smoking and gender (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between group 1 and 2 in terms of other risk factors of atherosclerosis (p>0.05). There was significant difference between group 1a and group 1b about CRP levels. C-reactive protein levels were also significantly different between group 1a and 2. There were significant differences between group 1a and group 1b with respect to fibrinogen and iron (p<0.05). Peripheral occlusive vascular disease can cause severe morbidity and mortality because of risk of CAD.

Conclusion: We think CAD risk can be predicted measuring the levels of acute phase reactants such as CRP and, fibrinogen, and we recommend that patients with POVD for whom revascularization is planned should be examined in detail about CAD.

Keywords : Acute-phase proteins; arterial occlusive diseases; atherosclerosis; risk factors