[Cardio-vascular risk factors control in elderly patients with peripheral artery disease].

Objective: The assessment of control of modifiable risk factors among elderly patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) admitted to the hospital angiology ward.

Methods: The results of treatment of dyslipidemia (DL), hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM) and prevalence of cigarette smoking were assessed among older (>65 years old, group I) and younger patients (group II) with PAD in a admission day to hospital.

Results: The study population included 154 patients (I--92 and II--65 subjects) aged 67.4 ± 9.4 years, 69.5% men. The study groups presented similar grades of PAD classification by Rutherford. Group I was older (73.5 ± 6.4 vs 58.3 ± 4.7 yrs, p < 0.001), had lower frequency of current smokers (21.7 vs 48.4%, P < 0.001) than group II. Diagnosis of DL, HT and DM were equally frequent in both groups. However, coronary heart disease was diagnosed more frequently in group I than II (52.2 vs 29.0%, p = 0.004). Both groups were similar according to systolic blood pressure (BP) values and levels of glucose and HDL cholesterol. Group I had lower diastolic BP than group II (69.5 ± 11.1 vs 74.0 ± 9.9 mmHg, p = 0.02), but control of HT was similar in both groups (71.7 vs 67.7%). LDL cholesterol levels were lower in a group I than II (2.2 ± 1.0 vs 2.5 ± 1.1 mmol/l, p = 0.04), but LDL cholesterol values < 1.8 mmol/l were observed with similar frequency in both groups (40.2 vs 27.4%).

Conclusions: Patient's age seems to have no important impact on the control of atherosclerosis risk factors in patients with PAD.