Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in type 2 diabetics in Pakistan

To observe the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and associated factors among people with type 2 diabetes in Pakistan.

A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out at eight centers in all the provinces of Pakistan on people with type 2 diabetes. History of symptoms related to Peripheral arterial disease were noted and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Ankle brachial index (ABI) was measured using Doppler ultrasound; patients with ABI < 0.9 were classified as having low ABI.

There were 830 patients in the study, (49% males and 51% females). Females were younger and had a higher body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001). The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease was 31.6% with a 95% CI of 28.4% to 34.8%. There was no significant difference in the proportion of low ABI between males (30%) and females (33%) (p = 0.29). Patients with low ABI were found to have significantly higher BMI (p = 0.02) and waist circumference (p = 0.001). The most common symptom in the patients with low ABI was pain on walking (84%), followed by numbness of the feet (64%). There was a significant difference in the reporting of all the symptoms (p < 0.05) except for numbness of the feet (p = 0.57) as compared to patients with normal ABI. No association was found between low ABI and duration of diabetes mellitus or cigarette smoking. There was no significant association between cardiovascular conditions and low ABI.

Peripheral arterial disease is common among people with type 2 diabetes in Pakistan and needs to be properly evaluated by the medical professionals as early diagnosis can help prevent future complications.