Quality of life in elderly diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease

Aim: To study the impact of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) on quality of life and functional status in Egyptian elderly diabetic patients. Methods: This casecontrol study included 90 non-demented patients aged 60years and older. Quality of life assessment was carried out using the Short Form 36 health survey (SF-36), Arterial duplex for diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease; Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, Activity of Daily Living and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living were used. Results: SF-36 domains (except emotional well-being) were significantly affected in diabetic patients with PAD compared with the diabetic patients without PAD. Most of functional assessment items were significantly affected in diabetic patients with PAD compared with diabetic patients without PAD. Increasing PAD severity and presence of PAD symptoms had a significant negative impact on SF-36 scores. Among diabetic complications in PAD patients, cardiovascular disease or stroke significantly affected quality of life. Conclusion: PAD significantly affects quality of life and functional status in elderly diabetic patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 443450.