Infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease in elderly men: a population based study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to determine prevalence, cardiovascular risk factors and association with coronary heart disease (CHD) of isolated infrapopliteal arterial disease in old-adult men.


METHODS



METHODS
cross-sectional; participants: population-based sample of 699 men aged 55 to 74 years, measurements: cardiovascular history and risk factors, electrocardiogram, segmental pressures and velocity waveforms in lower limbs.


RESULTS
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) was observed in 13.4% subjects, of whom 39.4% (37 patients) had isolated infrapopliteal PAOD. Of these, 11 (29.7%) patients were symptomatic. Isolated infrapopliteal PAOD was significantly associated with increased age, smoking, diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia. Subjects with extended PAOD differed from those with isolated infrapopliteal PAOD in increased tobacco exposure, higher levels of LDL and lower levels of HDL cholesterol. Association between PAOD and CHD was almost always significant (odds ratio from 1.8 to 3.4) irrespective of PAOD topographic pattern and symptom characteristics of CHD subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Isolated infrapopliteal PAOD is a frequent asymptomatic disorder in old-adult men, clearly associated with both symptomatic and asymptomatic CHD. In contrast to an expected risk factor profile biased by clinical practice, these subjects only differed from those with PAOD significantly extended to proximal arteries in their smoking exposition and a more atherogenic lipid profile.
Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. aclara@imas.imim.es
A
A
Clarà
J
J
Merino
A
A
Planas
J
J
Marrugat
M
M
Miralles
J M
JM
Pou
F
F
Vidal-Barraquer
D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011150:Popliteal Artery; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors