Incidence and risk factors of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in a prospective cohort of 700 adult elderly men followed for 5 years.

Objective: This study was designed to assess the incidence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) in a population-based cohort of men aged 55-74 years and to establish a predictive function based on risk factors for the disease.

Methods: This was a prospective study of 699 men representative of an urban population. Cardiovascular risk factors, history of cardiovascular events, and ankle-brachial index (ABI) at baseline and at 5 years were measured.

Age at onset of smoking is an independent risk factor in peripheral artery disease development.

Purpose: The potential effects of age at onset of smoking on cardiovascular diseases have been studied little, in contrast to the well-established evidence supporting a causal role of cigarette smoking in these diseases. We sought to analyze the relationship between age at smoking onset and development of symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).

Methods: A population-based sample of 573 active or former male smokers aged 55 to 74 years were studied.