Association of insulin resistance and inflammation with peripheral arterial disease: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004.
BACKGROUND
Although the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is well established, the contribution of insulin resistance (IR) to PAD is less clear. We hypothesized that IR is associated with PAD and that the presence of IR would influence the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) and PAD, an association established predominantly in healthy individuals.


RESULTS
We analyzed data from 3242 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2004 who underwent measurement of ankle brachial index, CRP, and fasting glucose and insulin, enabling calculation of homeostasis model of IR (HOMA-IR). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were estimated by logistic regression. The mean prevalence of PAD (defined as an ankle brachial index </=0.9) was 5.5% (SE, 0.47%). HOMA-IR was independently associated with PAD (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.0; P=0.03 for quartile 4, P for trend across quartiles=0.047) after adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, body mass index, chronic kidney disease, and CRP. Elevated CRP (>3 mg/L) also was strongly associated with PAD (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.6; P=0.003 versus CRP <1 mg/L). Stratifying subjects on the basis of median HOMA-IR, we found that CRP >3 mg/L was no longer significantly associated with PAD in subjects with IR (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.8 to 2.1; P=0.3, P for interaction=0.08).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate that IR is strongly and independently associated with PAD. Furthermore, IR modifies the association of inflammation with PAD. These data establish a role of IR in PAD and highlight the relative importance of inflammation in patients with and without IR.
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cardiovascular Division, 75 Francis St, A Bldg, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA. rpande@partners.org
Reena L
RL
Pande
Todd S
TS
Perlstein
Joshua A
JA
Beckman
Mark A
MA
Creager
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D015897:Comorbidity; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry / Q000379:methods; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein