Table 1

Demographic and clinical characteristics of the total population with complaints suggestive of intermittent claudication.

Total population (n = 4527)ABI<0.9 (n = 2187)0.9≤ABI≤1.4 (n = 2340)OR for ABI<0.9 (95% CI)P-value
Age (years), mean (SD)68.8 (8.5)70.1 (8.5)67.7 (8.3)1.04 (1.03 to 1.04)<0.001
Men, n (%)2448 (54.1)1318 (60.3)1130 (48.3)1.63 (1.45 to 1.83)<0.001
BMI, mean (SD)27.3 (11.6)26.9 (11.9)27.8 (11.3)0.95 (0.94 to 0.97)0.009
Current smokers, n (%)1570 (34.7)938 (42.9)632 (27.0)2.05 (1.81 to 2.33)<0.001
Ever smoked, n (%)1532 (33.8)743 (34.0)789 (33.7)2.25 (1.97 to 2.57)<0.001
Never smoked, n (%)1319 (29.1)454 (20.8)865 (37.0)0.44 (0.39 to 0.51)<0.001
Hypertension, n (%)3428 (75.7)1758 (80.4)1670 (71.4)1.82 (1.56 to 2.12)<0.001
Diabetes mellitus, n (%)1330 (29.4)664 (30.4)666 (28.5)1.12 (0.99 to 1.28)0.084
Hypercholesterolemia, n (%)2147 (47.4)1081 (49.4)1066 (45.6)1.23 (1.08–1.40)0.002
Family history, n (%)1721 (38.0)788 (36.0)933 (39.9)0.85 (0.75 to 0.96)0.008
Coronary heart disease, n (%)1153 (25.5)591 (27.0)562 (24.0)1.17 (1.03 to 1.34)0.02
Stroke or TIA, n (%)406 (9.0)206 (9.4)200 (8.5)1.11 (0.91 to 1.37)0.300
No vascular risk factor present, n (%)137 (3.0)28 (1.3)109 (4.7)0.27 (0.17 to 0.40)0.001
Two risk factors present, n (%)1579 (34.9)758 (34.7)821 (35.1)0.95 (0.84 to 1.08)0.463
Three or more risk factors present, n (%)1768 (39.1)987 (45.1)781 (33.4)1.70 (1.50 to 1.92)0.001
  • ABI = ankle brachial index. BMI = body mass index. OR = odds ratio. SD = standard deviation. TIA = transient ischaemic attack.