Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease and Risk Factors in Persons Aged 60 and Older: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004

• Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 583 - 589
• Main Authors: Ostchega, Yechiam, Paulose-Ram, Ryne, Dillon, Charles F., Gu, Qiuping, Hughes, Jeffery P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.04.2007; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Geriatrics; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mortality; NHANES; Nutrition Surveys; Older people; peripheral arterial disease; Peripheral Vascular Diseases - epidemiology; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Racial differences; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Smoking - adverse effects; United States - epidemiology; Veins & arteries; United States; Human; Medical data; risk factors; Prevalence; Nutrition; Lower limb; Cardiovascular disease; peripheral arterial disease; Public inquiry; Epidemiology; Feeding; Arterial disease; Vascular disease; Gerontology; Health status; 2004; Risk factor; Occlusive arterial disease; NHANES; Elderly; Public health; 1999; Geriatrics
• ISSN: 0002-8614; 1532-5415
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01123.x

OBJECTIVES: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The study objectives were to examine the prevalence of PAD and associated risk factors. DESIGN: A cross‐sectional nationally representative health examination survey. SETTING: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004. PARTICIPANTS: Data from 3,947 men and women aged 60 and older who received a lower extremity examination. MEASUREMENTS: The main outcome was PAD, defined as an ankle‐brachial blood pressure index of less than 0.9 in either leg. RESULTS: In older U.S. adults, PAD prevalence was 12.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 10.9–13.5%). PAD prevalence increased with age. PAD prevalence was 7.0% (95% CI = 5.6–8.4%) for those aged 60 to 69, 12.5% (95% CI = 10.4–14.6%), and 23.2% (95% CI = 19.8–26.7%) for those aged 70 to 79 and 80 and older. Age‐adjusted estimates show that non‐Hispanic black men and women and Mexican‐American women had a higher prevalence of PAD than non‐Hispanic white men and women (19.2%, 95% CI = 13.7–24.6%; 19.3%, 95% CI = 13.3–25.2%; and 15.6%, 95% CI = 12.7–18.6%, respectively). The results of the fully adjusted model show that current smoking (OR = 5.48, 95% CI = 3.60–8.35), previous smoking (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.39–2.69), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.12–2.91), low kidney function (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.58–4.56), mildly decreased kidney function (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.22–2.38), high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein greater than 3.0 mg/L (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.24–5.85), treated but not controlled hypertension (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.40–2.72), and untreated hypertension (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.13–2.50) were all significantly associated with prevalent PAD. CONCLUSION: PAD prevalence increases with age and is associated with treatable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.