Gender-specific risk factors for peripheral artery disease in a voluntary screening population.

BACKGROUND: Women have high rates of peripheral artery disease (PAD) despite fewer cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, compared to men. We sought to determine the gender-specific prevalence of low ankle brachial index (ABI) and the relationship to C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and CVD risk factors in the Life Line Screening population.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Between April 2005 and August 2011, 133 750 women and 71 996 men had ABI and CRP measured at a Life Line Screening Center. Women were slightly older than men, whereas men were more likely to be current smokers, have diabetes mellitus (DM), and coronary artery disease (CAD) (P<0.001 for each). Women were more likely to have ABI≤1.0, compared to men (26.6% versus 14.4%, respectively; P<0.001), as well as ABI≤0.9 (4.1% women versus 2.6% men; P<0.001). Women had higher median CRP levels (1.94 mg/L; interquartile range [IQR], 0.89, 4.44 mg/L), compared to men (1.35 mg/L; IQR, 0.73, 2.80 mg/L; P<0.001). Men and women shared similar risk factors for ABI≤0.9, including older age, black race, smoking, DM, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, CAD, and elevated CRP levels. In an adjusted model, there were significant interactions between gender and age (P<0.001), CRP (P<0.001), CAD (P=0.03), and DM (P=0.06) with ABI as the outcome. The associations between age, CRP, CAD, and DM with ABI≤0.9 were stronger in men than in women.

CONCLUSIONS: Women participating in the Life Line Screening had higher CRP levels and a higher prevalence of PAD, compared to men. Neither higher CRP levels nor conventional CVD risk factors explained the excess prevalence of PAD in women.