High Apolipoprotein E Levels Predict Adverse Limb Events in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease Due to Peripheral...

Little is known about the association between limb prognosis in peripheral artery disease and apolipoprotein E (apoE). We evaluated the long-term impact of apoE on adverse limb events in patients with intermittent claudication receiving statin treatment.A total of 218 consecutive patients (mean age, 73 ± 8 years; 81% men) with intermittent claudication who underwent their first intervention between 2009 and 2020 were included in this study. All patients had achieved LDL-C < 100 mg/dL on statin treatment and were divided into two groups based on the apoE value (≥ 4.7 or < 4.7 mg/dL). We evaluated the incidence of major adverse limb events (MALEs), including vessel revascularization and limb ischemia development.A total of 39 and 179 patients were allocated to the higher and lower apoE groups, respectively. Compared to the lower apoE group, the higher apoE group had a significantly higher total cholesterol level, triglyceride level, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. During the median follow-up period of 3.6 years, 30 patients (13.8%) developed MALEs. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the cumulative incidence of MALEs in the higher apoE group was significantly higher than that in the lower apoE group (44.0% versus 21.6%, log-rank test, P = 0.002). During multivariable Cox hazard analysis, higher apoE level (≥ 4.7 mg/dL) (hazard ratio, 2.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-5.70, P = 0.019) was the only strong independent predictor of MALEs.ApoE levels could be a strong predictor and residual risk for long-term limb prognosis in patients with intermittent claudication and achieving LDL-C < 100 mg/dL with statin treatment.