Risk Factors of Peripheral Vascular Disease in Diabetes Mellitus in Abbottabad, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Clinical and Cardiovascular Profile in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease

Background  Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a vascular disorder leading to serious complications if not managed promptly. This study is conducted to analyze clinical and cardiovascular risk factors in PAD patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital and management strategies. Methodology This observational study was conducted at the Department of Cardiology, Mohamed Bin Khalifa Specialist Cardiac Centre. One hundred and twenty patients aged more than 35 years with PAD were included in the study. Data regarding age, gender, physical exam, cardiovascular risk profile, carotid disease, coronary artery disease, and treatment strategy were recorded on a pre-designed questionnaire by the researcher himself. The data were analyzed using IBM Corp. Released 2017. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Results The mean age of patients with PAD was 65.46±10.56 years. About 79.2% were hypertensive, 81.7% had hyperlipidemia, 83.3% had diabetes, 29.2% had renal insufficiency, and 38.3% were active smokers, respectively. In age ≥65 years, infra-popliteal PAD was significantly lower as compared to above-knee PAD (23.4% vs. 76.6%, p=0.002). In diabetic patients, the proportion of above-knee PAD was higher than below-knee PAD (60% vs. 40%, p=0.033). Conclusion Older age, diabetes, and carotid disease were significant predictors for peripheral artery disease, and these are significantly associated with above-the-knee peripheral artery disease.

The Potential Role of Antioxidants in the Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Systematic Review

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has a worldwide prevalence and is a significant cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Due to its high prevalence and higher rates of ischemic cardiovascular and lower-extremity events, its treatment is essential. Increased levels of oxidative stress cause disease. This review aimed to evaluate different studies of antioxidant treatments for PAD patients. A systematic search for relevant studies was performed on the PubMed, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect databases, and 18 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In total, 16.6% of the studies used natural antioxidants, and 83.3% used synthetic antioxidants. The reviewed studies show that natural antioxidants were completely effective in treating PAD, and synthetic antioxidants showed effective results in only 53% of the studies. A less-than-optimal pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance does not improve the symptoms of PAD. In conclusion, antioxidants in their natural forms are more effective for PAD patients, and ensuring the optimal pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance is an effective method for managing treatment with antioxidants.