Cross-sectional and prospective data on Framingham risk score, allostatic load, and ankle brachial index among Puerto Rican adults from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study

<p><strong>Background</strong><br> Puerto Ricans have higher odds of peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared with Mexican Americans. Limited studies have examined relationships between clinical risk assessment scores with PAD assessments.</p> <p><strong>Methods</strong><br> Using 2004-2015 data from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS) (n = 370-583), cross-sectional, 5-y change and patterns of change in Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and allostatic load (AL) with ankle brachial index (ABI) at 5-y follow-up was assessed among Puerto Rican adults (45-75 y). Analysis were conducted in 2020. FRS and AL were calculated at baseline, 2-y and 5-y follow-up. Multivariable linear regression models examined cross-sectional and 5-y changes in FRS and AL with ABI at 5-y. Latent growth mixture modeling identified trajectories of FRS and AL over 5-y, and multivariable linear regression models were used to test associations between trajectory groups at 5-y.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong><br> Greater FRS at 5-y and increases in FRS from baseline were associated with lower ABI at 5-y (β = -0.149, p = 0.010; β = -0.171, p = 0.038, respectively). AL was not associated with ABI in cross-sectional or change analyses. Participants in low-ascending (vs. no change) FRS trajectory, and participants in moderate-ascending (vs. low-ascending) AL trajectory, had lower 5-y ABI (β = -0.025, p = 0.044; β = -0.016, p = 0.023, respectively).</p> <p><strong>Conclusions</strong><br> FRS was a better overall predictor of ABI, compared with AL. FRS may be a clinically feasible measure of PAD risk in Puerto Ricans, an understudied population. Additional research examining relationships between FRS and AL and development of PAD is warranted.</p>