Incidence and management of intermittent claudication in primary care in The Netherlands

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence and management of intermittent claudication in primary care. DESIGN: In a longitudinal survey among 161 general practitioners (GPs) all incident diagnoses of intermittent claudication (IC) were selected and available information on GP management was studied. Setting: Dutch National Survey of Morbidity and Interventions in General Practice. SUBJECTS: 74153 patients aged 55 years and over. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age- and sex-specific incidence rates. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of IC was 6.4 per 1000 person years (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.3-7.7). Incidence rate in creased from 4.0 per 1000 person years in men aged 55-59 to 12.9 per 1000 person years in men aged over 85, and for women in the same age categories from 3.3 per 1000 person years to 8.2 per 1000 person years, respectively. Of the 117 incident cases of IC, 43 (37%) were referred to a hospital specialist. In 55 cases (47%), drugs were prescribed by the GP and in 101 cases (86%) the GP gave advice, notably pertaining to exercise and cessation of smoking. CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of IC in primary care is high in both men and women, and clearly increases with age. Only a minority of patients are referred to a hospital specialist, while the vast majority receive lifestyle advice.