Although it is known that patients wth peripheral vascular disease are at high risk for coronary arterial disease, however, it has not been determined that patients with coronary artery disease(CAD) correlates with peripheral vascular disease(PVD). This study was designed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of peripheral vascular disease(PVD) in patients with coronary artery disease(CAD).

A total of one hundred seventy-eight patients with CAD confirmed by coronary angiogram(145 male, age 58.5±10.1) were included in this study from February 1992 to May 1994. Coronary and peripheral angiograms were performed in all patients and the patients were divided into two groups; patients with PVD dand patients without PVD. Clinical characteristics were compared between two groups.

Peripheral vascular disease was present in 49 patients(27.5%) among 178 CAD patients. The mean age of patients with PVD was significantly older than that of patients without PVD. The hypertension was statistically significant difference between two groups(P<0.05). There were no major differences in the number of risk factors or number of stenotic coronary arteries in patients with and without PVD.

The prevalence of PVD in patients with CAD was high and it is reasonable to state that most common risk factors for coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis were age, hypertension and obesity.