Association of computed tomographic leg muscle characteristics with lower limb and cardiovascular events in patients with peripheral artery disease

Morris, Dylan R., Skalina, Tristan A., Singh, Tejas P., Moxon, Joseph V., and Golledge, Jonathan (2018) Association of computed tomographic leg muscle characteristics with lower limb and cardiovascular events in patients with peripheral artery disease. Journal of the American Heart Association, 7 (20).

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View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.118.009943
 
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Abstract

Background Poor lower extremity physical performance is an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD); however, few studies have assessed muscle characteristics on imaging directly.

Method and Results A novel 3‐dimensional semi‐automated protocol was developed to estimate leg muscle volume and density (mean attenuation) from computed tomography images. Patients with PAD who underwent a lower extremity computed tomography scan at a tertiary vascular surgery center were included, and were followed up using hospital records and linked data as part of a retrospective cohort study. The primary outcomes were lower limb events (major amputation or peripheral revascularization) and cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death). Two hundred and twenty‐three patients with PAD were included (median age 69.0 years; 73% men) and followed for a median of 4.9 [2.6–7.0] years. During this time there were 99 index lower limb events and 97 cardiovascular events. Low leg muscle density was associated with increased risk of lower limb (rate ratio 1.41 [1.11–1.80] per SD reduction) and cardiovascular events (rate ratio 1.60 [1.29–1.99] per SD reduction). Low muscle density remained an independent predictor of cardiovascular (but not lower limb) events, after adjusting for age, sex, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and angiographic PAD severity (rate ratio 1.39 [1.09–1.77] per lower SD). In contrast, leg muscle volume was not associated with outcomes after adjusting for risk factors and PAD severity.

Conclusions Low leg muscle density, but not volume, is a strong, independent predictor of major cardiovascular events among people with PAD. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these associations.

Item ID: 56161
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 2047-9980
Keywords: lower limb skeletal muscle, prognosis, peripheral artery disease
Copyright Information: © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Funders: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Projects and Grants: NHMRC 1063476, NHMRC 1000967, NHMRC 1117061
Date Deposited: 25 Jan 2019 01:44
FoR Codes: 32 BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL SCIENCES > 3202 Clinical sciences > 320226 Surgery @ 100%
SEO Codes: 92 HEALTH > 9201 Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions) > 920103 Cardiovascular System and Diseases @ 100%
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