Younger Adults Admitted for Peripheral Vascular Disease With CV Comorbidities

In recent years, hospitalizations related to peripheral vascular disease (PVD) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) have been occurring at a younger age than in previous years, according to study results presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2021, held from November 13 to 15, 2021.

The study included 2 nationwide cohorts of young adults aged18 to 44 years admitted to a hospital for PVD: a 2007 cohort (n=37,099) and a 2017 cohort (n=46,760). MACCE and mean age at presentation with CVD risk factors were identified, with age at admission reported as a mean ± standard deviation. A student’s t-test was used to compare age at admission between the 2 cohorts.

Between 2007 and 2017, total admissions increased from 0.4% to 0.5%. Nonelective PVD admissions occurred among significantly younger individuals in 2017 than in 2007 (mean 35±7 vs 38±6 years; P <.001). Comorbid risk factors included smoking, hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure, which presented at a mean age of 39±5 in 2007. The mean age in 2017 decreased to 36±6 years for smoking (P <.001), 38±6 years for hypertension and diabetes (P <.001), and 37±6 years for congestive heart failure and obesity (P <.001). In 2007, the mean age for MACCE in PVD was 39±5 years; this decreased to 36±7 years in the 2017 cohort (P <.001). Other decreases in mean age at presentation included cardiogenic shock (P =.004), acute myocardial infarction (P <.001), PCI procedures (P <.001), ventricular tachyarrhythmias (P <.001), and stroke (P <.001).

As the researchers noted, the study demonstrates “increasing trends in PVD hospitalizations occurring at a significantly younger age with associated cardiovascular comorbidities and MACCE in recent years. The link between young age and complicated/severe PVD admissions with frequent comorbidities should be further investigated.”

Reference

Desai R, Shanker S, Nepal A, et al. Peripheral vascular disease hospitalizations with cardiovascular disease risk and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events occur at increasingly younger age across two nationwide cohorts selected 10-years apart. Presented at: AHA Scientific Sessions 2021; November 13-15, 2021. Poster P2969.

This article originally appeared on The Cardiology Advisor