The most serious problem in angiology is peripheral arterial occlusive disease. The prevalence of this disease is 2 % in men under 50 years of age and 5 % in men over 70 years of age. Women reach the same numbers approximately 10 years later. The most serious consequence is that in many cases patients with PAOD have also coronary disease and ischemic brain disease. The most common cause of death in patients with PAOD is coronary artery disease (40–60 %); ischemic stroke develops as a cause of death in 10-20% of the patients. About 20-30% of the patients die due to noncardiac factors.

        Key words: peripheral occlusive disease, incidence, prevalence, atherosclerosis