title: Claudication, in contrast to angina pectoris, independently predicts mortality risk in the general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our analyses was to investigate whether claudication and angina pectoris, each defined and based on the answer to a single question, are predictive of future mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 3995 subjects selected from the population-based Study of Health In Pomerania (SHIP). Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were used to analyze the association of angina pectoris and claudication with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality adjusted for major cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 417 individuals had symptoms of angina pectoris, and 323 had symptoms of claudication. During a median follow-up of 8.5 years, 277 individuals died. Individuals with claudication had a higher fully-adjusted all-cause mortality rate (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.79; 95 % CI 1.34, 2.39, p < 0.001) and a higher sex- and age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality rate (HR 1.76; 95 % CI 1.03, 2.99, p = 0.038) compared to subjects without claudication. In contrast, subjects with angina pectoris had neither an elevated fully-adjusted all-cause mortality rate (HR 1.15; 95 % CI 0.82, 1.61, p = 0.413) nor sex- and age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality rate (HR 0.71; 95 % CI 0.34, 1.48, p = 0.363) compared to those without this symptom.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Claudication, in contrast to angina pectoris, is a strong, independent predictor of all-cause mortality.
authors.affiliation: University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. akieback@uke.de
authors.forename: Arne G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kieback
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorbeer
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wallaschofski
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ittermann
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Völzke
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dörr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000401:mortality*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors