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. 2016 Apr 19:16:68.
doi: 10.1186/s12872-016-0247-x.

Peripheral artery disease and exertional leg symptoms in diabetes patients in Ghana

Kwame Yeboah  1 , Peter Puplampu  2 , Joana Ainuson  3 , Josephine Akpalu  2 , Ben Gyan  4 , Albert G B Amoah  2   5
Affiliations

Peripheral artery disease and exertional leg symptoms in diabetes patients in Ghana

Kwame Yeboah et al. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a major health problem in diabetes patients in high-income countries, but the PAD burden in sub-Saharan Africa is largely undetermined. We studied the prevalence of PAD and exertional leg symptoms in diabetes (DM) patients in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Methods: In a case control study design, 485 DM and 330 non-diabetes participants were recruited. PAD was diagnosed as Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) < 0.9. Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire (ECQ) was used to assess exertional leg symptoms.

Results: The overall prevalence of classical intermittent claudication was 10.3 % and ABI-diagnosed PAD was 26.7 %, with 3.5 % of the participants having both classic intermittent claudication and ABI-diagnosed PAD. The prevalence of exertional leg symptoms were similar in diabetes patients with and without PAD. In non-diabetes participants, intermittent claudication and rest pain were higher in PAD patients than in non-PAD participants. In multivariable logistic regression, intermittent claudication [OR (95 % CI), 3.39 (1.14 - 8.1), p < 0.05] and rest pain [4.3 (1.58 - 9.67), p < 0.001] were independently associated with PAD in non-diabetes group, and rest pain [1.71 (1.13 - 2.17), p < 0.05] was associated with PAD in all participants.

Conclusions: There is high burden of PAD and exertional leg pains in DM patients in Ghana. PAD is expressed as intermittent claudication and rest pain in non-diabetes individuals.

Keywords: Ankle brachial index; Diabetes; Exertional leg symptoms; Ghana; Peripheral arterial disease.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of subjects’ recruitment
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
a Age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of exertional leg pain in diabetes patients by PAD status. b Age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of exertional leg pain in non-diabetes participants by PAD status
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of PAD across age decades
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Distribution of PAD across BMI categories
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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