title: Peripheral arterial disease in community-based patients with diabetes in Singapore: Results from a Primary Healthcare Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is an important complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), significantly associated with increased morbidity and mortality secondary to amputations, strokes and coronary artery disease. Information on DM patients with PAD is limited in our ethnically diverse population in Singapore. We aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors and co-morbidities of PAD in patients managed for DM in the primary care setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among 521 diabetics in 9 of the 18 government-aided clinics in the community. Data including demographics, presence of co-morbidities and vascular risk factors were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, and Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) was calculated from systolic ankle and brachial pressure measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of PAD, defi ned as resting ABI of <0.9 on either leg and/or a history of gangrene or non-traumatic amputation was 15.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 12.3-18.5]. This prevalence of PAD was higher in patients with pre-existing microvascular and other macrovascular complications. In multivariate analysis, prevalence of PAD was positively associated with increasing age (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.05-1.12), Malay versus Chinese ethnicity (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.09-4.70), low HDL-cholesterol (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.04- 3.37), and insulin treatment (OR, 2.98; 95%CI, 1.39-6.36).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PAD is an important cause of concern among patients with diabetes, with a high prevalence which further increases with increasing age and duration of DM, and exhibits ethnic variation. Risk factors identified in this study may improve early identification of PAD, allowing for prompt interventions, with a potential to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore. narayanan.rajmohan@alexandrahealth.com.sg
authors.forename: Raj Mohan
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lekshmi Narayanan
authors.forename: Woon Puay
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phang
authors.forename: Tavintharan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007214:Indonesia / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology