Published online Jun 15, 2021. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v12.i6.883
Peer-review started: January 19, 2021
First decision: February 25, 2021
Revised: March 8, 2021
Accepted: May 20, 2021
Article in press: May 20, 2021
Published online: June 15, 2021
Processing time: 136 Days and 13.2 Hours
Peripheral artery disease is collection of chronic occlusive and aneurysmal diseases associated with a high incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
In this study, the control of modifiable risk factors for MACE was assessed through the development and testing of a new score called peripheral artery disease (PAD)-medical.
The aim of this study was to assess how the PAD-medical score, which assessed the control of modifiable risk factors was associated with the risk of MACE in people with a diagnosis of both peripheral artery disease and diabetes.
Patients with previously diagnosed peripheral artery disease and diabetes were recruited from three hospitals in Queensland Australia. PAD-medical score was calculated as a result from zero (worst management) to five (best management) based on the control of modifiable risk factors and implementation of medical management. Cox proportional hazard analyses assessed the association of PAD-medical score (one unit increase) with MACE adjusted for age, sex, smoking, IHD and prior stroke.
Of 424 participants recruited less than 10% had optimal control of modifiable risk factors evidenced by a top PAD-medical score. A one-unit increase in PAD-medical was associated with a significantly lower risk of MACE after adjusting for other risk factors (HR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.63-0.98). Of the five different components of PAD-medical, only smoking abstinence was independently associated with a reduced risk of MACE (HR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.38-0.97).
The PAD-medical score represents an easy to use tool for the quantification of the control of modifiable risk factors for MACE in patients with peripheral artery disease and diabetes.
Further research into this field requires a larger participant cohort from a more diverse population to investigate the wider applicability of the PAD-medical score.