Association of Age with Mortality Rate after Femoropopliteal Endovascular Therapy for Intermittent Claudication.

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/m2, 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.