Aim: The present study aimed at identifying the pattern of patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) compared with those with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Materials and methods: A four-year retrospective study was conducted with patients hospitalized in the Second Surgical Clinic at the Emergency County Hospital Cluj-Napoca. The medical charts of patients with PAOD (n=466) and CLI (n=223) were reviewed and data were collected. Results: The study included 689 patients; mean age 67 years for PAOD patients and 65 years for CLI patients. A significantly higher percentage of patients were male in both groups (79.25%, P < 0.0001). Most of the patients in both groups had received at least a secondary education (P < 0.0001). Most of the subjects in both groups were smokers (>71.30%) with no difference between groups (P = 0.566). No significant differences were found between the groups in comorbidities (diabetes, arterial blood hypertension, cardiac ischemia, rhythm disorders, P > 0.05). There were more CLI patients that were overweight than overweight patients with PAOD (P = 0.0004). High serum cholesterol (>200 mg/dL) and triglycerides (>150 mg/dL) levels were found in the CLI group (P < 0.05). Age was identified as a risk factors for amputation (OR = 1.03, 95%Cl [1.01−1.05], P = 0.0012). Conclusions: The profile of a patient with critical limb ischemia and peripheral arterial occlusive disease is a 65-67-year-old male smoker with at least a secondary education. The CLI patient is overweight with pathological serum levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.