OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between marital status and prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) among Beijing residents.

METHODSFrom May to August 2007, 10 054 residents were interviewed to collect demographic and biochemistry information. Generalized linear mixed model was used to determine the relationship between marital status and prevalence of PAD in terms of OR and corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTSAfter adjusting the traditional risk factors including age, area, lipid, serum glucose, blood pressure, central obesity, smoking, drinking and physical activities for PAD, relationship between marital status and prevalence of PAD was found both at the female and male groups of those with 45 years or older. Compared with married men, OR and 95% confidence interval of PAD for unmarried men were 1.56 (0.39 - 6.35) and 1.61 (0.77 - 3.35) for those with 45 years younger and older respectively, while compared with married women, OR and 95% confidence interval of PAD for unmarried women were 0.75 (0.22 - 2.57) and 1.78 (1.23 - 2.58) for those with 45 years younger and older respectively. Significant differences (all P < 0.01) were found between married and unmarried women of 45 years or older in terms of age, waist circumstances, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and smoking.

CONCLUSIONSPeripheral arterial disease was related to marital status for women of 45 years or older among Beijing residents. Estrogen level and the distribution of other PAD risk factors might contribute to the observed finding.