Intermittent claudication - A risk profile from the Framingham Heart Study

Background Intermittent claudication identifies persons at increased risk for death and disability. Methods and Results Using 38-year follow-up data for the original cohort in the Framingham Heart Study, we developed an intermittent claudication risk profile. Intermittent claudication occurred in a total of 381 men and women. Age, sex, serum cholesterol, hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes, and coronary heart disease were associated with an increased risk for cla;dication and were included in the profile. A pooled logistic regression model was used to compute the probability of intermittent claudication for specified levels of risk factors. Conclusions The intermittent claudication risk profile allows physicians to identify high-risk individuals during a routine office visit and can be used to educate patients about modifiable risk factors, particularly smoking and blood pressure. Improved compliance with risk factor modification strategies may result in a beneficial impact on survival.