Lowered LDL-C Levels Reduce Later Local Vascular Events after Surgical or Endovascular Treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between incidence of later, local vascular events (restenosis and occlusion) and clinical factors including lipid levels after surgical or endovascular treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD). METHODS: Consecutive 418 PAD lesions (in 308 patients under the age of 70) treated with surgical (n = 188) or endovascular (n = 230) repair for iliac (n = 228) and infrainguinal (n = 190) lesions were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical features and lipid levels were compared between patients who developed vascular events (n = 51; VE group) and those who did not (n = 257; NoVE group). RESULTS: Among assessed factors, post-therapeutic low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (mg/dL) were significantly higher in the VE group (120.4 +/- 31.2) than in the NoVE group (108.2 +/- 25.1) (P = 0.01). Infrainguinal lesions were more common in the VE than in the NoVE group (P <0.001). Cox hazard analysis indicated that infrainguinal lesions relative to iliac lesions significantly increased the risk of vascular events (hazard ratio (HR) 3.35; 95% CI 1.63-6.90; P = 0.001) and post-therapeutic LDL-C levels <130 (mg/dL) decreased the risk (HR 0.34; 95%CI 0.17-0.67; P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Lowered post-therapeutic LDL-C levels can decrease the risk of later, local vascular events after PAD treatment. These results may support the rationale for aggressive lipid-modifying therapy for PAD.