Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of significant coronary artery involvement in patients with peripheral artery disease

Background Peripheral artery disease is a common condition, mainly associated with clinical cardiovascular risk factors. Patients with peripheral artery disease suffer from coronary artery disease-related complications. On the other hand, metabolic syndrome, as a constellation of specific risk factors, represents a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. Metabolic syndrome might increase the risk of significant coronary artery disease in patients with peripheral artery disease. We aimed to examine the association of metabolic syndrome with the angiographically shown coronary artery involvement in patients with peripheral artery disease. Methods Two hundred and forty-seven patients with peripheral artery disease (mean age 60 +/- 9.5 years, 223 men/24 women), who were referred to coronary angiography, were evaluated. The resting ankle-brachial pressure index was measured with the patient in supine position. Patients with > 70% diameter stenosis were considered to have significant coronary artery disease. Results In all, there were 223 male/24 female patients with mean ankle-brachial pressure index of 0.7 +/- 0.2, and mean age of 60 +/- 9.5 years. Metabolic syndrome was present in 53% (n = 131) of all patients. Significant coronary artery disease was more frequently encountered in patients with peripheral artery disease and metabolic syndrome than in those without metabolic syndrome (73.3 vs. 40.5%, P < 0.001). The presence of metabolic syndrome increased the risk of having significant coronary artery disease in patients with peripheral artery disease by 4.027 fold. Lower ankle-brachial pressure index (P = 0.038, B = 2.567), older age (P < 0.001, B = 1.075), presence of metabolic syndrome (P = 0.015, B = 2.247), and presence of diabetes mellitus (P < 0.001, B = 1.293) were found to be independent predictors of significant coronary artery disease in patients with peripheral artery disease in multivariable regression. Conclusion Metabolic syndrome seems to increase the risk of significant coronary artery disease in patients with peripheral artery disease.