Patients with chronic critical limb ischaemia have reduced total antioxidant capacity and impaired nutritional status.
BACKGROUND
it has previously been demonstrated that total antioxidant capacity (TAC) can help predict which patients undergoing femoro-distal reconstruction are susceptible to postoperative infections.


OBJECTIVE
the aims of this study were to examine if TAC is influenced by the nutritional state of the patient and the degree of ischaemia.


METHODS
thirty patients with rest pain (21 men and 9 women), with a median age of 69 years and fifteen controls (9 men and 6 women), median age of 66 years, were studied. Nutritional status was assessed using serum albumin, body mass index (BMI), maximum voluntary contraction using a hand grip dynamometer and bioelectrical impedance to determine lean body mass. Blood was also taken for total antioxidant capacity (TAC).


RESULTS
patients with chronic critical limb ischaemia (CCLI) had a lower TAC than controls (752 vs 1,130 micromol/l, p<0.05 Mann-Whitney U -test). There was no difference in serum albumin concentration between the CCLI group compared with controls (31 mmol/L vs 35 mmol/L, p>0.05 Mann-Whitney U-test). There was also no difference in BMI (23 vs 27, p>0.05 U-test) between the two groups. The other markers of nutrition including, maximum voluntary contractions (28.6 kg/m(2)vs 37.4 kg/m(2), p<0.05 M-W U-test), and lean body mass (3.0 vs 3.8 M-W U-test), showed a significant reduction in the vascular patients.


CONCLUSIONS
TAC is significantly reduced in patients with CCLI and this may, in part, be explained by their impaired nutritional status.
Spark
J I
JI
Department of Vascular Surgery, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
Robinson
J M
JM
Gallavin
L
L
Gough
M J
MJ
Homer-Vanniasinkam
S
S
Kester
R C
RC
Scott
D J A
DJ
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D001823:Body Composition; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016638:Critical Illness; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000975:Antioxidants