Risk factors for symptomatic peripheral arterial disease in older persons in an academic hospital-based geriatrics practice.

Objective: To investigate risk factors for symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in older persons.

Design: A retrospective analysis of charts from all older persons seen from January 1, 1998, through June 15, 1999, at an academic, hospital-based geriatrics practice.

Setting: An academic, hospital-based geriatrics practice staffed by fellows in a geriatrics training program and full-time faculty geriatricians.

Patients: A total of 467 men, mean age 80 +/- 8 years, and 1444 women, mean age 81 +/- 8 years, were included in the study.

Measurements And Main Results: Symptomatic PAD was present in 93 of 467 men (20%) and in 191 of 1444 women (13%) (P = .001). Significant risk factors for symptomatic PAD by univariate analysis were: age (P = .021 in women); cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, serum total cholesterol, serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (inverse association), and serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (P < .001 in men and women); obesity (P = .013 in men and .002 in women); and serum triglycerides (P = .027 in women). Significant independent risk factors for symptomatic PAD by stepwise logistic regression analysis were: age (odds ratio = 1.052 in men and 1.025 in women); cigarette smoking (odds ratio = 2.552 in men and 4.634 in women); hypertension (odds ratio = 2.196 in men and 2.777 in women); diabetes mellitus (odds ratio = 6.054 in men and 3.594 in women); serum HDL cholesterol (odds ratio = .948 in men and .965 in women); and serum LDL cholesterol (odds ratio = 1.019 in men and women).

Conclusions: Significant independent risk factors for symptomatic PAD in older men and women were age, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, serum HDL cholesterol (inverse association), and serum LDL cholesterol.