Description

HIV-infected patients develop peripheral arterial disease (PAD) at a relatively high rate compared to the general population. Periard et al identified risk factors associated with PAD in HIV-infected adults. The authors are participants in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.


 

Criteria used to identify PAD - one or both of the following:

(1) ankle-brachial blood pressure index < 0.90 at rest

(2) decrease in ankle-brachial blood pressure index after exercise > 25% (post-exercise ABI < 0.75 * pre-exercise ABI)

 

Risk factors identified in multivariate analysis in patients >= 40 years of age:

(1) older age (an age > 50 years will be used in the implementation)

(2) diabetes mellitus

(3) long term smoking

(4) CD4 lymphocyte count < 200 per µL

 

The chief risk factor was the CD4 count, which had an odds ratio of 27.

 

A patient with multiple risk factors should be screened for PAD.

 


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