The cardiovascular diseases

ARTERITIS OF THE LOWER MEMBERS

- Definition
- The symptoms
- How to make the diagnosis?
- The causes
- The Complications, Prognosis
- Treatment, Conclusion

DEFINITION

The arteritis of the lower members corresponds to an attack of the arteries wall of the lower members, most often related with the atheromatous illness (responsible of the formation of plates at the level of the wall of the artery).

This attack is responsible for the reduction of the diameter of the arteries, which are thus going to block up.

The arteritis of the lower members is one of the preferential localizations of the atheromatous illness (plate of cholesterol in the arteries) with the cerebral localizations in particular carotid, cardiac (coronary) and aortic. These various pathologies reduce the life expectancy by 10 years on average.

This illness is due to the atherosclerosis in more than 90% of the cases and occurs preferentially after the age of 50 in a smoker subject.

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File last reviewed on dec 18, 2011