[Vascular diseases and occupation. Incidence and significance of circulatory diseases in occupational medicine].

The high incidence and socio-medical significance of vascular diseases--which often manifest during the working lifetime of the patient--mean that doctors in occupational medical practice have more and more frequently to deal with these lesions, irrespective of whether they are causally linked to the patient's occupation or not. For diseases of the circulatory system usually have a direct effect on the patient's efficiency and fitness for work. Depending on the localisation of the lesion, certain precautionary measures may be needed at work, or it may no longer be possible for the affected person to carry out certain jobs--or at least not without risk. This applies not merely to arterial, but also to venous and lymphatic diseases. Further, there are a number of recognised occupational diseases that manifest, or may manifest, as circulatory disorders. A range of occupation-related effects or exposures of a physical, chemical or possibly immunological-allergic nature can lead to vascular lesions including premature attrition of the vascular system. The early detection and prevention of circulatory disorders may become a major task of occupational medicine in the future.