Association of Cardiovascular Risk Factors with Pattern of Lower Limb Atherosclerosis in 2659 Patients Undergoing Angioplasty
Accepted 28 September 2005. published online 08 November 2005.
Abstract
Objectives
Aim of this study is to correlate distribution pattern of lower limb atherosclerosis with cardiovascular risk factor profile of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD).
Patients and methods
Analysis is based on a consecutive series of 2659 patients (1583 men, 1076 women, 70±11 years) with chronic PAD of atherosclerotic origin undergoing primary endovascular treatment of lower extremity arteries. Pattern of atherosclerosis was grouped into iliac (n=1166), femoropopliteal (n=2151) and infrageniculate (n=888) disease defined according to target lesions treated. A multivariable multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to assess relation with age, gender and classical cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cigarette smoking) using femoropopliteal disease as reference.
Results
Iliac disease was associated with younger age (RRR 0.95 per year of age, 95%-CI 0.94–0.96, p<0.001), male gender (RRR 1.32, 95%-CI 1.09–1.59, p=0.004) and cigarette smoking (RRR 2.02, 95%-CI 1.68–2.42, p<0.001). Infrageniculate disease was associated with higher age (RRR 1.02, 95%-CI 1.01–1.02, p<0.001), male gender (RRR 1.23, 95%-CI 1.06–1.41, p=0.005) and diabetes mellitus (RRR 1.68, 95%-CI 1.47–1.92, p<0.001). Hypercholesterolemia was less prevalent in patients with lesions below the knee (RRR 0.82, 95%-CI 0.71–0.94, p=0.006), whereas no distinct pattern was apparent related to arterial hypertension.
Conclusion
Clinical phenotype of peripheral atherosclerosis varies with prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors suggesting differences in mechanisms involved in iliac as compared with infrageniculate lesions. Identification of molecular mechanism might have influence on future therapeutic strategies in PAD patients.
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