Author(s)

Moatassem Salah Amer, Samia Ahmed Abdul-Rahman, Wafaa Mostafa Abd-El Gawad, Ibrahim Ahmad Abdel Aal, Ahmad Abdel Khalek Abdel Razek Mohamed, Wessam El-Huseiny Moustafa Abdel Wahab

Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Geriatrics and Gerontology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Geriatrics and Gerontology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Radiodiagnosis Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.

Purpose: To study the association between carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) level as markers for PAD in elderly patients with DM. Subjects: A case-control study on 90 participants aged 60 years and older divided into 60 cases (30 patients with DM alone and 30 patients with DM and comorbidities) and 30 healthy controls. All were assessed by measuring CIMT, ankle brachial index (AB), and markers for cardiovascular disease such as high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and low density lipoprotein (LDL). Results: hs-CRP levels showed statistically significant difference being highest among patients with DM and comorbidities and lowest among controls (P < 0.001). Also, symptoms of PAD were significantly higher among cases than controls. ABI was able to detect PAD in many asymptomatic patients. Color changes were present in only 43.30% (n = 26) of positive PAD cases while delayed wound healing, claudication pain, rest pain, cold extremities, and trophic changes were present in 23.30% (n = 14), 16.71% (n = 10), 16.71% (n = 10), 45.00% (n = 27), and 21.7% (n = 13). Using logistic regression analysis revealed that DM, CIMT, and hs-CRP were independent predictors for PAD (OR = 4.194, 7.236, 1.003; P value = 0.044, 0.25, 0.031) after adjustment of other coronary risk factors such as sex, smoking, hypertension, TC, and TG. Conclusion: Diabetic elderly have higher prevalence of asymptomatic PAD thannon-diabetics using solely ABI. DM, CIMT, and hs-CRP are independent predictors for the occurrence of PAD. Hs-CRP levels are highest among diabetics with comorbidities.

Peripheral Arterial Disease; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Ankle Brachial Index; C-Reactive Protein; Elderly

Amer, M. , Abdul-Rahman, S. , Gawad, W. , Aal, I. , Mohamed, A. and Wahab, W. (2013) Relationship between peripheral arterial disease, carotid intima-media thickness and C-reactive protein in elderly diabetic patients. Advances in Aging Research, 2, 115-120. doi: 10.4236/aar.2013.24017.