Microvascular diseases anywhere in the body may be associated with a higher risk of amputation of the legs.

According to a new study published in the journal of the American Heart Association, microvascular diseases are independently badociated with a higher risk of amputation of the legs compared to unaffected individuals. circulation.

The study, funded by the vascular disease research network of the American Heart Association and the US Department of Veterans Affairs, examined the risk of amputation in people with microvascular disease or peripheral or both microvascular and infectious diseases. Researchers used data from the Veterans' Age Cohort Study, which included more than 125,000 veterans who had not undergone amputation at the beginning of the study. On an average of nine years, participants with:

• microvascular diseases had a 3.7-fold lower limb risk and underwent 18% of all amputations during the study;
• The risk of lower limb amputation was multiplied by 13.9, while the risk of lower limb amputation was increased by 23 for microvascular disease and the risk of lower limb amputation, which accounted for 45% of all amputations.

PAD is a narrowing of the arteries away from the heart and is usually found in the legs. It causes cramps, pain or fatigue of the leg muscles when walking or climbing stairs. If it is not treated, MAP can lead to gangrene and the need for amputation.

In microvascular diseases, the tiny vessels that carry blood to the muscles and other tissues of the body no longer work properly. While the disease is usually diagnosed in the eyes (retinopathy) or in the kidneys (nephropathy), the authors believe that they are markers of microvascular dysfunction throughout the body.

"This study advances the idea that microvascular disease is a systemic disorder rather than affecting only one part of the body," said Joshua A. Beckman, MD, lead author of the study. study, professor of medicine and director of vascular medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

"MAP (in the legs) has long been regarded as a sign that a patient is likely to have a narrowing of the arteries leading to the heart or brain.If a patient presents with a MAP, he or she has a higher risk of developing the disease. other cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes. "Beckman said. "Our study suggests that microvascular disease in any part of the body, such as the eyes, kidneys or feet (neuropathy) could be linked to a decrease in blood vessel function in others. parts of the body, exposing patients to a risk of lower limb amputation. "

According to the findings, Beckman suggests that patients with microvascular disease require close monitoring and care of their feet to quickly detect wounds or injuries to promote healing and reduce amputations . "Patients with both a microvascular disease and a MAP have the highest risk of lower limb amputation and need optimal medical treatment to reduce their risk." "said Ms. Beckman.