Can peripheral arterial disease be early screened for in a podiatric setting? A preliminary study in a cohort of asymptomatic adults

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a strong marker of cardiovascular disease but remains an under-diagnosed problem. Moreover, PAD frequently leads to foot problems requiring particular care and surveillance. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed PAD in a cohort of asymptomatic subjects referred to a podiatric clinic and (2) to evaluate whether a four-item form assessing medical history for the presence of cardiovascular risk factors could identify subjects at high risk for asymptomatic PAD. This study included 717 consecutive subjects (121 males, age 50.9±13.9 y) referring to a podiatric clinic who were asymptomatic for PAD and free of cardiovascular disease. The ankle brachial index (ABI) was measured in all subjects. Each subject also completed a self-administered form to identify cardiovascular risk factors. Among the entire cohort, the prevalence of PAD was 8.3% in males and 1.2% in females. Three subgroups were identified according to the nu...