Association of monocyte-lymphocyte ratio with peripheral arterial disease in US participants: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a prevalent manifestation of atherosclerosis, is closely linked to systemic inflammation. The monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), a cost-effective inflammatory biomarker, has shown prognostic value in cardiovascular diseases but remains underexplored in PAD. Objective This study aimed to investigate the correlation between MLR and the occurrence of PAD. Methods Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2004, this retrospective cross-sectional study applied complex survey weighting to generate nationally representative estimates. A total of 2,827 participants aged ≥40 years were included after applying sample exclusions and accounting for missing data. PAD was defined as an ankle-brachial index