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Background: To investigate whether the relationship between smoking and peripheral artery disease (PAD) differs by sex (PROSPERO CRD42022352318). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched (3 March 2024) for studies reporting associations between smoking and PAD in both sexes, at least adjusted for age. Data were pooled using random effects. Between-study heterogeneity was examined using I2 statistic and Cochran's Q test. Newcastle-Ottowa Scale was adopted for quality assessment. Results: Four cohort studies (n = 2,117,860, 54.4% women) and thirteen cross-sectional studies (n = 230,436, 59.9% women) were included. In cohort studies, former and current smokers had higher risk of PAD than never smokers. Compared to those who never or previously smoked, women current smokers (relative risk (RR) 5.30 (95% confidence interval 3.17, 8.87)) had higher excess risk of PAD than men (RR 3.30 (2.46, 4.42)), women-to-men ratio of RR 1.45 (1.30, 1.62)(I2 = 0%, p = 0.328). In cross-sectional studies, risk of PAD was higher among former and current compared to never smokers, more so in men, women-to-men ratios of odds ratio: 0.64 (0.46, 0.90)(I2 = 30%, p = 0.192), 0.63 (0.50, 0.79)(I2 = 0%, p = 0.594), respectively. For both sexes, risk of PAD was higher among current smokers compared to those who were not currently smoking. Cohort studies and five cross-sectional studies were of good quality, scoring 6 to 8 of a possible maximum 9 points. Eight cross-sectional studies scored 2 to 5. Discussions: Further research is required to elucidate sex differences in the relationships between smoking and PAD, as the current evidence is limited and mixed. Tobacco-control programs should consider both sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 68-year-old man presented acutely with periorbital pain and proptosis of the right eye, on a background of generalised pain and weight loss. Imaging showed bilateral signal abnormalities in the basal skull extending into the extraconal orbits with compression of the right optic nerve. His medical history revealed symptoms in keeping with benign prostatic hypertrophy. However, the prostate was irregular on rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen was markedly raised at 1880 ng/dl. A provisional diagnosis of metastatic prostatic carcinoma was made based on the clinical and radiological picture. This was later confirmed to be metastatic adenocarcinoma through means of tissue diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: Competing interests The BMJ has judged that there are no disqualifying financial ties to commercial companies. The authors declare the following other interests: none. Further details of The BMJ policy on financial interests are here: https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/forms-policies-and-checklists/declaration-competing-interests