About 10% of the over 60 Spanish suffers from the disease of the showcases

-Peripheral arterial disease, popularly known as the disease of shop Windows, affects nearly one million people in Spain, most of whom are men

-this pathology, infradiagnosticada in the majority of cases through lack of symptoms, is mainly caused by atherosclerosis and can detect to feel the need to stop the step continuously to recover from severe muscle pain legs, specifically located in the calf or thigh

-this degenerative disease is an indicator of risk of ischemic heart disease and can limit the quality of life of those who suffer from, depending on the stadium in which they find themselves, to cause the amputation of a member or even death much

-La Spanish Heart Foundation (CSF) recommended to those suffering the disease of the showcases to control risk factors that cause (smoking, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes and physical inactivity); to keep the foot care, avoiding injuries and infections; and to raise the headboard of the bed to improve circulation

Madrid, February 2012.- the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) reports that approximately one in ten over 60 Spanish suffers from peripheral arterial disease, commonly known as the disease of the showcases. Of the nearly one million people who suffer from, the vast majority are men. This is because women are more protected from atherosclerosis, the main cause of the disease. In addition, feminists presented at these ages, lower than those of men smoking figures, thereby reducing their risk.

This disease, caused by the lack of oxygenation of the lower limbs, is an indicator of risk of ischemic heart disease. The increase in the risk of ischemic heart disease depends on age and other factors, but can be multiplied by two or three if it suffers from peripheral arterial disease ”, explains Dr. Manuel Martínez Selles, President of the section of Cardiology geriatric the society Spanish of Cardiology (SEC).

Lack of knowledge of the symptoms of the disease of the showcases is very common, doing that in the majority of cases is it diagnosed when the disease is in an advanced stage.

Symptoms of the disease of the Windows

Patients who suffer from tend to perceive a symptom called intermittent claudication, characterized by intense muscle pain in the legs, usually in the region of the calf or thigh, which is triggered when walking or physical exercise, and improving only to stop the activity and stop completely, for examplelooking at a showcase.

Some patients, in addition to this pain, feel cramps, numbness and muscle tiredness sensation, confusing usually by bone pain associated with age.

It is a disease that evolves in such a way that there are different degrees of claudication, being able to get to be a disabling pathology, in advanced stages, symptoms appear even at rest, and can form ulcers, gangrenes, necessity of amputation or even causing death.

To define the severity of the disease, you must measure the distance traveled from the moment in which begins to make the activity until the pain, forcing the patient to stop. There are five stages of the disease (clinical stages of Fontaine):

-I patient asymptomatic or symptoms
-II-not disabling intermittent claudication (150 m).
-II b disabling intermittent claudication (less than 150 meters)
-III pain at rest
-IV ischemia serious with trophic lesions (ulceration and gangrene)

to carry out appropriate treatment and prevention, early diagnosis is essential. For this reason, it is important to consult with a specialist as soon as symptoms appear. The diagnosis is based precisely on the typical symptom of pain in the twin zone walking, which subsides with rest, and relies on the physical examination to detect some arterial pulse weak or absent ”, points out Dr. Martinez Selles.

Recommendations of the FEC to prevent disease in the Windows

-To avoid this condition, it is essential to control the risk factors that cause. The CSF suggests: the analysed cessation, physical exercise on a regular basis, and control of the levels of cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure

-at the same time, is essential foot care, since any trauma or infection can worsen the disease

– in some cases, it may be indicated raise the headboard of the bed to promote the movement

in case of disease, the specialist may recommend to fight it with antiplatelet agents (acetylsalicylic acid type) or with drugs to reduce cholesterol as the statins. If it is necessary to have recourse to an invasive therapy, there are two options: percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, which consists of introducing a catheter into the artery and inflating a balloon to unblock her, or playing bridge or arterial bypass, surgery by reducing blood flow to the distal portion of the blockage using a graft, either synthetic or using a vein of the patient.

The SEC and the FEC

The Spanish society of Cardiology (SEC) and the Spanish Heart Foundation (CSF) are an organization whose vital impetus is to ensure the cardiovascular health of the population through clinical and research, as well as educational and informative excellence. Both entities have become the benchmark in Castilian in the fight against cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in our country.

The SEC has more than 4,000 members, among cardiologists and professionals related to cardiovascular diseases, from European, Latin American and international Spanish.