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Intermittent claudication: prevalence and risk factors
Insights
Smoking and high blood pressure are key risk factors for intermittent claudication (IC), a common condition. Managing these factors may help prevent this disabling manifestation of atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Intermittent claudication (IC) is a disabling manifestation of atherosclerosis.
- Understanding the risk factors for IC is crucial for developing preventive strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and quantify the risk factors associated with the development of intermittent claudication (IC).
- To assess the prevalence of IC in a specific age group and its association with various risk factors.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted involving 54 patients diagnosed with IC and 108 controls.
- Data collected included smoking status, blood pressure, and concentrations of triglyceride, urate, fibrinogen, and cholesterol.
Main Results:
- Smoking was the most significant risk factor for IC.
- Elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures, triglyceride, urate, and fibrinogen levels were significantly higher in IC patients.
- The risk of IC increased multiplicatively with the presence of multiple risk factors.
- Cholesterol levels were not associated with an increased risk of IC.
Conclusions:
- Intermittent claudication (IC) is associated with several modifiable risk factors, including smoking and hypertension.
- The findings suggest that IC, a common condition, may be largely preventable through risk factor management.
- Targeting smoking cessation and blood pressure control could significantly reduce the incidence of IC.
Abstract:
Risk factors for intermittent claudication (IC) were studied in 54 patients--that is, all patients with IC on the lists of two general practices--and 108 controls. Smoking was the factor most strongly associated with the development of IC, but systolic and diastolic blood pressures and concentrations of triglyceride, urate, and fibrinogen were all significantly higher among the patients with IC than the controls. The presence of more than one factor appeared to be associated with a multiplicative increase in risk. Cholesterol, an important risk factor for ischaemic heart disease, was not associated with an increased risk of IC. IC was present in about 2% of the men and 1% of the women, who were aged 45-69 years. These findings suggest that IC, a common and disabling manifestation of atheroslcerosis, may be largely preventable.