Health and lifestyle parameters in peripheral artery disease at two periods of the COVID-19 pandemic: comparison between men and women.

Abstract

This study analyzed the impact of sex on self-reported health and lifestyle parameters in peripheral artery disease patients at two periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this longitudinal study, 99 patients with peripheral artery disease (53 men and 46 women) were evaluated during two periods of the COVID-19 pandemic ( i.e ., at onset: May to August 2020, and on follow-up: May to August 2021). Patients were interviewed via telephone, and information regarding lifestyle and health parameters was obtained. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, health and habit parameters were similar between women and men, with 63.0% and 45.3% indicating frequent fatigue, 73.9% and 84.9% reporting increased sitting time, and 23.9% and 39.6% practicing physical activity, respectively. At follow-up, difficulties in physical mobility (women: from 26.1% to 73.9%, p<0.001; men: from 39.6% to 71.7%, p=0.001) and the frequency of hospitalization for reasons other than COVID-19 increased similarly in women and men (women: from 4.3% to 21.7%, p=0.013; men: from 9.4% to 24.5%, p=0.038). The other parameters were similar between the periods. Self-reported physical mobility difficulties and hospitalization frequency increased in women and men with peripheral artery disease. ▪ Sitting time increased in 73.9% of women and 84.9% of men at the onset of the pandemic. ▪ Physical activity was practiced by 23.9% of women and 39.6% of men at the onset of the pandemic. ▪ The prevalence of both women and men reporting physical mobility difficulties increased at follow-up. ▪ Hospitalization rates for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 have increased in both women and. While women experience more consequences related to peripheral artery disease than men, such as worse functional capacity and higher morbidity, there was a similar increase in physical mobility difficulty and frequency of hospitalization for reasons other than COVID-19 one year after the onset of the pandemic.