[Epidemiology of peripheral vascular disease in diabetics (author's transl)]

623 non-selected diabetic outpatients were screened by the Doppler-ultrasonic-method for peripheral vascular disease. Additional angiologic work up was performed to define the location of stenosis and obliteration. 15.9% of the diabetics were shown to have peripheral vascular disease and 57% of those denied claudication. 9% of the patients had signs of mediasclerosis. The predilection of peripheral vascular disease in diabetics for the arteries below the knee (peripheral type) was confirmed in our study. Patients with a pelvic or femoropopliteal type of peripheral vascular disease showed a high frequency of cardiovascular risk factors. An influence of the duration of diabetes on peripheral vascular disease was not evident. In contrast to this, a significant correlation (p less than 0.001) of the peripheral type of peripheral vascular disease-as well as of mediasclerosis--could be demonstrated with the diabetes of long duration. In patients with the peripheral type of peripheral vascular disease significantly more often higher blood sugar volues were found. Thus the quality of metabolic control seems to be of some importance for this form of diabetic macroangiopathy.