Time trends in incidence rates of acute, non-traumatic extremity ischaemia: a population-based study during a 19-year period.

Time trends in the occurrence of acute limb ischaemia were studied from 1965 to 1983 in a defined geographical area in Sweden. Data were obtained from a computerized register which covers all instances of inpatient care for a population of 1.3 million. Analysis based on 5394 first admissions for acute arterial occlusion revealed that the annual number increased by 2.7 per cent yearly in women and 3.9 per cent in men whereas the age-adjusted incidence remained stable for women and increased by 2.6 per cent yearly for men. A study of 1189 patients who underwent surgical procedures showed that the annual number of embolectomy procedures increased 7.6 per cent for females and 8.6 per cent for males. The corresponding age-adjusted incidence rose annually by 3.0 per cent for women and by 7.5 per cent for men. The introduction of the Fogarty catheter and an increasing interest in vascular surgery may have contributed to the increasing rates of operations during the period of study.