Prevalence and risk factors associated with peripheral arterial disease in the Hearts of Brazil Project

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. In Brazil, data on PAD prevalence and risk factors are scarce.

To assess prevalence and risk factors related to PAD in Brazilian urban centers with more than 100,000 inhabitants.

National, multicenter, cross-sectional study of 1,170 individuals (>18 years), from 72 major Brazilian urban centers participating in the "Hearts of Brazil Project". PAD diagnosis was based on ankle-brachial index (ABI)

PAD prevalence was 10.5%. Intermittent claudication (IC) was present in only 9% of PAD patients. A significant association was found between PAD and the following factors: diabetes, total and abdominal obesity, stroke and ischemic heart disease (IHD). There was a trend of higher PAD prevalence among individuals with hypertension, heart failure, chronic renal failure on dialysis, as well as those who had smoked over 20 pack-years. For females, presence of IHD was associated with a 4.9-fold greater risk of PAD. Among males, a 6.6-fold increased risk of PAD was found for diabetic in comparison to non-diabetic individuals.

PAD prevalence was markedly high, considering the low mean age of the studied population (44+/-14.7 yrs). IC was detected in a minority of PAD subjects, indicating a considerable number of asymptomatic individuals. Diabetes, obesity, stroke and IHD were the stronger predictors of PAD. The authors concluded that ABI measurement should be considered in the evaluation of moderate to high cardiovascular risk patients.