The authors describe comparative results of treatment of 60 elderly and senile patients with obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremity vessels. In 50 patients treatment with traditional medicines was combined with intravascular laser irradiation of blood, 10 patients were treated with traditional medicines only. The data obtained by questionnaires concerning the patients' state, expert judgment of doctors in charge of the profile department, indices of instrumental examinations of regional hemodynamics (rheovasography of the lower extremity vessels), data of laboratory investigations of morphofunctional state of erythrocytes and hemorheology showed that laser irradiation of blood gave better results of treatment. Its therapeutic effect persisted during 3 months in most patients.