Waist-to-thigh ratio associated with peripheral vascular disease in both men and women
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Whether epidemiological determinants of peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a lesser studied vascular bed for atherosclerotic disease pathophysiology, are overlapping with those of coronary heart disease is still a matter for debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of PVD with two measures of fat distribution relating to abdominal obesity, i.e. waist-to-thigh ratio (WTR) and waist circumference (WC), in 5057 adults having participated in the NHANES 1999-2002. Among the study population, 7.3% were identified as having PVD, defined as an ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.9. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that WTR was strongly associated with PVD in men. In women, a strong linear trend was identified, indicating that there was a significant association between WTR and PVD. In addition, women in the 4th quartile of WC had increased odds of PVD as compared to those in the 1st quartile, whereas in men, WC was not associated with PVD. Thus, WTR is associated with PVD in both men and women, whereas WC is associated with PVD in women only.
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