Abstract
AIM: This study aimed to reveal the mortality risk by age in patients undergoing femoropopliteal endovascular therapy for intermittent claudication, in comparison to the national age-specific standard value. METHODS: We analyzed 2056 patients undergoing endovascular therapy for moderate to severe intermittent claudication between 2010 and 2018, performed at five cardiovascular centers in Japan. The 3-year mortality risk by age was compared with the data from year- and sex-matched Japanese citizens, which were obtained from Japan's national life table data. Clinical characteristics associated with age in the study patients were also explored. RESULTS: The mean age was 73±9 years. The 3-year mortality risk was increased with age in the patient population, from 6.4% for patients aged ＜65 years to 21.2% for those aged ≥ 85 years. On the contrary, its risk ratio relative to the matched citizens of the same age was decreased with age; the relative risk ratio was 3.08 for patients aged ＜65 years (P=0.001) and 0.60 for those aged ≥ 85 years (P=0.016). Current smoking, body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2), hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and dialysis dependence were inversely associated with age (all P＜0.05). CONCLUSION: Mortality risk increased with age, but the risk ratio relative to the matched citizens decreased with age. Younger patients had a higher mortality risk relative to the matched citizens, whereas patients aged ≥ 85 years had a lower mortality risk relative to the matched citizens. Younger patients were more likely to accumulate cardiovascular risk factors.