Risk Factors for Peripheral Arterial Disease in United States Asymptomatic Patients Aged 40 – 69 and Asymptomatic Patients Aged ≥ 70: Results from NHANES 1999-2004

Our purpose was to establish the prevalence of PAD using National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) data from 1999-2004 in men and women ages 40-69 and 70+ without history of coronary heart disease, MI, stroke or TIA, or angina.Results: Females aged 40-69 were 1.77 times more likely to have PAD than men.Diabetics were 3.07 times more likely to have PAD than non-diabetics. Class 2 and Class 3 hypertension patients were 3.08 and 2.47 more likely, respectively to have PAD than patients with blood pressure of <140/90. Overall, diabetes in addition to another risk factor increased odds of having PAD more than three fold. For individuals aged 70 or older, similar patterns of risk were identified. Conclusions: PAD is highly prevalent among asymptomatic individuals. Diabetes mellitus, moderate and low kidney function, hypertension (treated but not controlled and untreated), and smoking are all independently associated with greater prevalence of PAD.