Sex difference in the distribution of atherosclerotic risk factors and their association with peripheral arterial disease in Taiwanese type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: There appear to be sex differences in the risk factors for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in type 2 diabetic patients, but studies in Taiwanese patients have not been conducted. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 610 (268 men, 342 women) Taiwanese patients aged 63.3+/-10.8 years were evaluated. PAD was diagnosed by an ankle - brachial index <0.9. Risk factors included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), smoking, menopause, diabetes duration, hypertension, insulin therapy, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, fasting glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high- (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoproteins A1 (ApoA1) and B (ApoB) and uric acid (UA). When compared with the men, the women were significantly older and had longer duration, smaller WC, higher levels of systolic blood pressure, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, ApoA1 and ApoB, lower levels of UA, fewer smokers and more insulin users. Stepwise logistic regression showed age, BMI (inverse association) and systolic blood pressure as independent risk factors for men respective odds ratios (OR): 1.080 (1.024-1.139), 0.832 (0.713-0.971) and 1.028 (1.005-1.051)]; and for women they were age, UA and insulin therapy respective OR: 1.113 (1.056-1.173), 1.340 (1.101-1.630) and 4.173 (1.974-8.824). CONCLUSIONS: PAD risk factors differ significantly between the sexes.