The position of an angiologist in Poland

Abstract

Angiology is an important and dynamic medical discipline that educates physicians to be well prepared to translate knowledge about vascular biology into management of patients with vascular diseases in clinical practice. Vascular diseases that are the subject of angiology include: atherosclerosis, thromboembolism, hypertension, vasculitis, vasospastic diseases as well as venous and lymphatic disorders, which are responsible for the majority of disabilities and deaths worldwide. Angiology in Poland was included in the list of specializations in 1999. Angiology (vascular medicine) is present as a separate specialization in 11 European countries outside Poland: Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. In these countries, with the exception of Poland, specialization in angiology is only available to internists. It can be concluded that angiology is an opportunity to reduce not only mortality from vascular causes, but also morbidity. The need for its assignation was related to the progress of medicine, the development of new methods of vascular diseases treatment and prevention, bearing in mind that they are still a significant social and economic problem. Inequities in management of patients with vascular diseases compared to patients with heart disease may contribute to poor outcomes and increased health care costs associated with the treatment of peripheral vascular diseases.