Socioeconomic Status Associated with Peripheral Artery Disease Risk

http://brighamandwomens.org/about_bwh/publicaffairs/news/pressreleases/PressRelease.aspx?sub=0&PageID=1813

July 2, 2014

Previous research has established a link between lower socioeconomic status and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In a new study led by Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), researchers have found that there are also higher rates of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in individuals with low income and lower attained education levels in the United States.

These findings are published online ahead of print in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

•••••

PAD, a circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to limbs, most commonly to the legs, causes leg pain and is often an indicator of more wide-spread artherosclerosis. Individuals with PAD are also at increased risk of having heart disease and blockages in the blood flow the brain. PAD can be treated with lifestyle modifications such as exercising, eating a healthy diet and quitting tobacco, and some individuals may require a procedure to restore blood flow to the limbs.

•••••

Individuals in the lowest of the 6 poverty- income ratio categories had more than a 2-fold increased odds of PAD compared with those in the highest poverty-income ratio category, an association that was still significant after accounting for other risk factors. Lower attained education level was also associated with higher PAD prevalence, but after adjusting for other factors, this association was no longer significant.

•••••