Analysis of public awareness of diseases causing chronic arterial insufficiency based on the assessment of relevant Google queries

Objective: to evaluate the awareness of diseases causing to chronic arterial insufficiency by analyzing web search queries. Material and methods. In this study, we used the online keyword selection tool ‘Google Trends.’ The analysis was conducted for different countries and separately for CIS countries. Results. We found that the search query ‘obliterating endarteritis’ was most common in Kazakhstan and Pakistan, while the query ‘obliterating atherosclerosis’ was most common in Belarus, Trinidad, and Tobago. The query ‘leg cramps’ was most frequent among residents of Ukraine and the Republic of South Africa, whereas people residing in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Philippine Islands usually searched for ‘leg numbness.’ As for diagnostic methods, ‘angiography’ was the most frequent query in countries such as Bulgaria and Pakistan, while ‘dopplerography’ was the most popular query in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The most common queries related to treatment of chronic arterial insufficiency were ‘balloon angioplasty’ (most popular in Russia) and bypass surgery (most popular in Zambia, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Ghana). The most frequent queries associated with pharmacotherapy were ‘acetylsalicylic acid’ and ‘pentoxifylline’ in the Russian Federation and Trinidad, Tobago, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Conclusion. The assessment of web search queries related to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic arterial insufficiency may help to understand the health status of people residing in different countries, which will enable effective disease prevention by reducing the risks and will ensure sufficient attention to timely diagnosis and effective treatment of chronic arterial insufficiency. It is also very important to inform people about obliteration of lower extremity and explain that people with such symptoms should consult their phusician rather than search for information online.