Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus in India - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a prevalent complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As India ranks second in the population afflicted by T2DM, and the objective of this systematic review was to estimate the pooled prevalence of PAD in individuals living with T2DM in India.

Methods

Five databases (Cochrane (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL (via EBSCO), PEDro, and Scopus) were searched using database-specific search terms from inception to August 2023. Inclusion criteria included studies reporting the prevalence of PAD in Indian adults diagnosed with T2DM of either or both sexes, employing ankle brachial index measurements with a Doppler test or sphygmomanometer. The risk of bias was evaluated using the JBI checklist, and the certainty of evidence was determined via the GRADE approach.

Results

Twenty-three articles met the inclusion criteria which comprised of 196,883 individuals with T2DM aged between 30 and 70 years from nine states and one union territory. Utilizing a random effects model, the meta-analysis revealed that the pooled prevalence of PAD among individuals with T2DM in India was 18 % (95 % confidence interval: 10–28 %), with statistically significant heterogeneity observed between studies (I² = 100 %, P < 0.001). Overall certainty in the evidence was low.

Conclusion

The combined prevalence of PAD among individuals with T2DM in India is 18 %, indicating a significant portion of the Indian population has been affected. Epidemiological studies utilizing precise assessment tools can enhance the early detection and prevention of PAD in T2DM and improve the certainty of findings.