Increased exposure to increased lipid content over time is linked with an increased the development of polyvascular disease in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), a recent study indicates.
“Atherosclerosis in more than one vascular bed (ie, polyvascular disease), often a feature of PAD, is associated with high morbidity and mortality,” the authors laid out in their rationale. “We sought to identify risk factors for polyvascular involvement in patients with PAD.”
The study included 3,279 patients with PAD from the Mayo Vascular Disease Biorespository, 61% of whom had polyvascular disease (ie, concomitant coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and/or abdominal aortic aneurysm). The authors performed Mendelian randomization analyses for the assessment of an association between genetically predicted levels of atherogenic lipoprotein subclasses, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, and predisposition to smoking
According to the results, genetically predicted lipid content levels and/or particle measures (very small and small-size very low-density lipoprotein, intermediate-density lipoprotein, and large low-density protein) were associated with development of polyvascular disease. They also reported that genetically predicted diastolic and systolic blood pressure were linked with polyvascular disease.
“Lifetime exposure to increased lipid content and levels of very small and small very low‐density lipoprotein, intermediate‐density lipoprotein, and large low‐density lipoprotein particles as well as elevated blood pressure are associated with polyvascular involvement in patients with PAD,” the researchers wrote. “Reduction in levels of such exposures may limit progression of atherosclerosis in patients with PAD.”
The modest size of the study cohort, as well as the European ancestry of the cohort that limited generalizability, were cited as limitations.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
