Circ Res. 2003 Jul 25;93(2):87-90.

Yoon YS, Losordo DW.

Ischemic disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for almost 50% of overall mortality, and endothelial dysfunction is a key pathophysiological process that underlies both myocardial and peripheral ischemia. The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease is 12% in the United States, where 150 000 patients undergo lower-limb amputations every year. The overall prognosis after amputation is guarded at best, given a perioperative mortality rate of 5% to 20% and 2-year follow-up mortality rate of 40%. For those patients who have advanced ischemic cardiac or peripheral vascular diseases and are not suitable for currently available treatment options, such as endovascular intervention or surgical reconstruction, biological revascularization has emerged as a new therapeutic option.

Comment on

• The following popper user interface control may not be accessible. Tab to the next button to revert the control to an accessible version.Destroy user interface controlVascular endothelial growth factor-B promotes in vivo angiogenesis. [Circ Res. 2003]