title: Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in subjects with moderate cardiovascular risk: Italian results from the PANDORA study Data from PANDORA (Prevalence of peripheral Arterial disease in subjects with moderate CVD risk, with No overt vascular Diseases nor Diabetes mellitus).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The PANDORA study has recently examined the prevalence of low ankle brachial index (ABI) in subjects with moderate risk of cardiovascular disease. This sub-analysis of the PANDORA study examines the prevalence of asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD), as determined by ABI, in Italian subjects presenting with moderate cardiovascular risk, in the absence of diabetes or overt vascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  PANDORA is a non-interventional, cross-sectional study that was performed in 6 European countries, involving subjects with at least one cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. The primary objective was to evaluate the prevalence of asymptomatic PAD using ABI. For this post-hoc sub-analysis, data were extracted for subjects enrolled in Italy, comprising 51.5% (n = 5298) of subjects from the original PANDORA study. Secondary objectives were to establish the prevalence and treatment of CV risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 63.9 years and 22.9% (95% CI 21.7-24.0) of subjects presented with asymptomatic PAD. A range of risk factors comprising smoking, hypertension, low HDL-cholesterol, family history of coronary heart disease and habit of moderate-high alcohol intake were significantly associated with asymptomatic PAD (p < 0.0001). Statin treatment had the lowest incidence in Italian subjects. Furthermore, patients treated with statins were significantly less likely to have asymptomatic PAD than those who were not (p = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asymptomatic PAD was highly prevalent in Italian subjects, the majority of whom were not candidates for ABI assessment according to current guidelines. Findings from this study suggest that these patients should be carefully examined in clinical practice and ABI measured so that therapeutic interventions known to decrease their CV risk may be offered.
authors: METIS Scientific Association of Italian Family Doctors, Roma, Italy. metis@fimmg.org
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Sanna
authors: Donatella
authors: D
authors: Alesso
authors: Malek
authors: M
authors: Mediati
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Cimminiello
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Borghi
authors: Amalia Lucia
authors: AL
authors: Fazzari
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Mangrella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050171:Dyslipidemias; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D044382:Population Groups; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking