The A Body Shape Index and Type 2 Diabetes Are Mutually Independent Predictors of Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

Abstract

The A Body Shape index (ABSI) is calculated based on waist circumference, height and BMI and is a validated measure of visceral adiposity. In the general population, the ABSI has been shown to be an independent risk factor for premature mortality. Its power to predict cardiovascular events in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is not known and is addressed in the present study. We prospectively recorded cardiovascular events in 319 patients with sonographically verified PAD over a mean follow-up time of 7.2±2.1 years. At baseline, the ABSI was significantly higher in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) than in those who did not have diabetes (19.5±1.9 vs. 14.0±1.1; p<0.001). Prospectively, the ABSI significantly predicted the incidence of cardiovascular events (n=57) both univariately (standardized HR 1.36 [1.20-1.52]; p<0.001) and after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, hypertension and T2DM (standardized adjusted HR 1.17 [1.08-1.29]; p=0.010); also T2DM significantly predicted cardiovascular events in this fully adjusted model (adjusted HR 1.48 [1.25-1.74]; p<0.001). We conclude that the ABSI and T2DM are mutually independent of cardiovascular events in patients with PAD. Disclosure A. Vonbank: None. C.H. Saely: None. C. Heinzle: None. D. Zanolin: None. B. Larcher: None. A. Mader: None. A. Leiherer: None. A. Muendlein: None. H. Drexel: None.