Peripheral vascular diseases and life quality levels in elderly adults of Boyeros municipality

Objective: To determine the prevalence of peripheral vascular diseases and the life quality levels in elderly. Methods: A prospective and analytical study was conducted in a randomized sample (n = 200) of the residents of Boyeros municipality in Havana, analyzing only the elderly (n = 58). Peripheral vascular diseases were diagnosed by physical-vascular examination, hemodynamic and ultrasonographic studies. The SF-36 generic life quality questionnaire was applied. Results: The rate of peripheral vascular diseases was of 12 by 10 000, where the most prevalent were: flebopathy (9.3), peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs (5.7) and carotid disease (4.4). The percentage increased in the group from 70 to 79 years old. 31.8 percent showed two or more diseases. In more than the 80 percent, the diagnosis was precocious. Arterial hypertension (85.2 percent), obesity (59.3 percent) and hyperlipidemia (42.6 percent) were the most common risk factors. No differences (p< 0.05) were found in any of the quality of life scales when comparing elderly with and without vascular disease. In ill patients, the summary measures mental health and physical health oscillated between moderate and low. The ill patients were referred to their health areas to receive timely treatment. Conclusions: Boyeros municipality presented high rates of prevalence of peripheral vascular diseases in elderly with an important impact on the summary measures of quality levels called mental health and physical health(AU)