Diabetes and vascular disease in different arterial territories

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between diabetes and different phenotypes of peripheral vascular disease (lower extremity peripheral artery disease [PAD], carotid artery stenosis [CAS], and abdominal aortic aneurysm [AAA]).

Prevalence of vascular disease was evaluated in 3,696,778 participants of the Life Line Screening survey between 2003 and 2008. PAD was defined as ankle-brachial pressure index <0.90 or prior revascularization, CAS as ≥50% stenosis or prior revascularization, and AAA as infrarenal aortic diameter ≥3 cm or prior repair. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were assessed using logistic regression modeling.

Diabetes mellitus was present in 10.8% of participants (n = 399,884). Prevalence of PAD, CAS, and AAA was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in participants with compared with those without diabetes. After multivariate adjustment for baseline demographics and clinical risk factors, a significant interaction existed between diabetes and vascular disease phenotype (P < 0.0001). Diabetes was associated with increased odds of PAD (OR 1.42 [95% CI 1.41-1.4]; P < 0.0001) and CAS (1.45 [1.43-1.47]; P < 0.0001) but decreased odds of AAA (0.86 [0.84-0.88]; P < 0.0001). The strength of association increased with increasing severity of disease in each vascular phenotype, and this association persisted in the population with asymptomatic vascular disease.

In a large population-based study, the association between diabetes and vascular disease differed according to vascular phenotype. Future studies exploring the mechanism for these vascular-specific differences are needed.