The contribution of cardiovascular risk factors to peripheral arterial disease in South Asians and Blacks: a sub-study to the Ethnic-Echocardiographic Heart of England Screening (E-ECHOES) study

Patients and Methods: We recruited 572 patients (356 South Asian and 216 Blacks) epsilon 45 years as a sub-study to a community screening project, the Ethnic-Echocardiographic Heart of England Screening (E-ECHOES) study. All subjects completed an interviewer-led questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and blood sampling. Ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) was calculated and intermittent claudication was assessed using the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire. The presence of PAD was defined as ABPI < 0.9. Results: The mean age was 62 years overall with no difference between the two ethnic groups. The prevalence of PAD was 13.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.7-16.7] in South Asians and 10.2% (95% CI 6.2-14.2) in Blacks with no significant difference between the two ethnic groups. The prevalence of PAD was higher in South Asian women than Black women (16.3 vs. 6.1%; P = 0.011). No difference in prevalence was found in men (11 vs. 14% P = 0.47, in South Asians and Blacks, respectively). The prevalence of intermittent claudication was 0.9% (95% CI 0.11-1.63). On multivariate logistic regression, mean systolic blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and male sex were independently associated with PAD in South Asians (P = 0.016, 0.022, 0.037and 0.008, respectively). In Blacks, only age remained independently associated with PAD on multivariate logistic regression (P = 0.003). Conclusion: The prevalence of PAD is similar in South Asians and Blacks, and similar to levels reported in pre-dominantly White populations. South Asian women had a higher prevalence of PAD than Black women, which is not explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors.