title: Prevalence of and risk factors for peripheral arterial disease in Saudi Arabia. A pilot cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of and the risk factors for Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in a primary health care setting in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study of Saudi patients aged >or= 45 years, who attended the primary health care center at King Khalid University Hospital between February 2006 and March 2006. A pre-designed questionnaire was used for each patient. Peripheral arterial disease was diagnosed, if the Ankle-Brachial index by Doppler were <0.90 and if the patient had signs or symptoms suggestively for PAD. Prevalence was estimated with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and multivariable logistics regression analyses were preformed to identify factors associated with PAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 471 patients were recruited. The mean age was 56 years and 32.3% were women. The prevalence of PAD was 11.7% (95% CI: 8.9-14.9%), and 92.7% of them were asymptomatic. Patients with PAD were slightly older than patients without PAD, suffered more often from diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders, smoking, cerebrovascular event, and coronary artery disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of and risk factors for PAD in Saudi Arabia seem to be higher. A nationwide screening program is needed to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sultan O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Al-Sheikh
authors.forename: Badr A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Aljabri
authors.forename: Lubna A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Al-Ansary
authors.forename: Laila A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Al-Khayal
authors.forename: Musaad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Al-Salman
authors.forename: Mohammed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al-Omran
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler