Prevalence of peripheral artery disease in young coronary artery disease patients
Authors:   Surya Hospitals, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India, Reddy Medikonda Malla , Krishna Geetha N. ,   Department of General Medicine, SaveethaMedical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Jagadeswar Kakumani ,   Department of General Medicine, SaveethaMedical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Mariraj I. ,   Department of General Medicine, SaveethaMedical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Vaishnavi K.I.S.N. ,   Department of General Medicine, SaveethaMedical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Dadu Fahad ,   Department of General Medicine, SaveethaMedical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Gowri Shankar A. ,   Department of General Medicine, SaveethaMedical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Published: September 2024

Background and objectives. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are progressive inflammatory conditions caused by arteriosclerosis, typically presenting after the age of 50. However, assessing peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in younger populations may offer early indications of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. This study investigates the prevalence of abnormal ankle brachial index (ABI) values among young myocardial infarction (MI) patients and examines the correlation of ABI with other cardiovascular risk factors. Material and methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, involving 147 patients aged 40 years or younger who were admitted with MI symptoms. The study focused on the incidence and severity of MI in relation to age, sex, and the presence of risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, dyslipidemia, hypertension (HTN), and diabetes mellitus (DM). Results. The study analyzed the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in a population under 40 years old. It was found that the incidence rate increased with age within this group. Specifically, males were more frequently affected than females, with 70% of cases occurring in males. Among female participants, all were over 30 years old. In terms of ankle-brachial index (ABI) values, 40% of females exhibited abnormal ABI, compared to 25% of males. Significant risk factors identified included smoking, with 60% of participants reporting tobacco use, alcohol consumption at 50%, and dyslipidemia present in 45% of cases. Hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) were less prevalent, affecting 20% and 15% of participants, respectively. There was a significant correlation between low ABI values and the use of tobacco (p<0.01) and alcohol (p<0.05). However, the analysis showed no significant relationship between the number of vascular involvements indicated by ABI and the length of hospital stay. The length of hospital stay did increase with patient age, with an average increase of 2 days for every decade of age, but this was not significantly associated with ABI values. Conclusion. ABI is a valuable diagnostic tool in young populations for detecting early signs of CHD, offering advantages over routine blood pressure measurements. This study supports the broader use of ABI in both young and older populations to improve early detection and management of cardiovascular risks. Further research is needed to explore the implications of ABI in routine clinical practice and its correlation with other cardiovascular risk factors.