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Four CV Risk Factors Predict Most of Peripheral Artery Disease Risk in Men

Four common cardiovascular risk factors account for most of the risk for peripheral artery disease (PAD) in middle-aged and older men, according to a JAMA study.

Some 45,000 U.S. male health professionals, aged 40 to 75 and without histories of CV disease, were followed prospectively for nearly 25 years. During that time, 537 developed clinically significant PAD.

In adjusted analyses, smoking (past or current), hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes were all independently associated with PAD. Risk for PAD increased with each additional risk factor, with the absolute incidence among men with all four risk factors being 3.5 per 1000 person-years. Over 95% of PAD cases had at least one risk factor at diagnosis.

The researchers call for more research "to determine whether aggressive risk factor modification in patients with multiple atherosclerotic risk factors can reduce the incidence of clinically severe PAD."

Source: Journal Watch