Abstract
Background:
Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanic Americans have a significantly lower prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Since Hispanic ethnicity in the United States is heterogeneous, the purpose of this study was to determine the differential odds for PAD by Hispanic/Latino subgroup.
Methods:
Subjects were 9,648 men and women over the age of 45 years enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study - Study of Latinos (HCHS-SOL) who were evaluated by extensive survey information, relevant physical measurements and fasting blood assays. The ankle brachial index (ABI) was computed as the higher of the posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis systolic blood pressures (SBP) for each leg divided by the higher brachial artery SBP. The index ABI was the lower of the two. An ABI ≤ 0.90 was criterion for the presence of PAD.
Results:
The mean age was 56 years and 62% were female. Thirty percent were Mexican American, while 27% were Cuban American, 19% Puerto Rican American, 9% Dominican American, 7% Central American, 5% South American and 3% Mixed or Other Hispanic ethnicities. Overall, the prevalence of an ABI ≤ 0.90 (PAD), 0.90 to 0.99 (borderline), 1.0 to 1.39 (normal) and ≥ 1.40 (high) was 5.7, 19.3, 72.5 and 2.6%, respectively. Cuban Americans had the highest prevalence of PAD (9.1%), followed by Puerto Rican (5.9%), Central American (5.3%), Mixed/Other (5.0%), Dominican (4.7%), South American (4.6%) and Mexican Americans (3.2%). The prevalence of an ABI ≥ 1.40 ranged from 3.1% (South Americans) to 0.6% (Mixed/Other). After multivariable adjustment, and compared to Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans had nearly a 3-fold higher odds for PAD (OR = 2.85). The odds of PAD for the other Hispanic/Latino groups ranged from 1.23 to 1.82. Although males had over a 3-fold higher odds of an ABI ≥ 1.40 (OR = 3.55), the odds did not differ significantly by Hispanic/Latino ethnicity.
Conclusions:
Compared to Mexican Americans, all other Hispanic/Latino ethnic groups have a significantly higher odds of having PAD, with the odds being nearly 3-fold higher among Cuban Americans.