Original Articles
Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.4081/btvb.2024.128

Ankle brachial index for the diagnosis of asymptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease

Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Received: 2 March 2024
Accepted: 21 June 2024
Published: 5 July 2024
1520
Views
441
Downloads
Ankle brachial index, peripheral arterial disease

Authors

Francesco Cicconi
francescociccons@hotmail.it
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8459-7157
Complex Operating Unit of Internal Medicine, Teramo Hospital, University of L'Aquila, Teramo, Italy.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common vascular problem in which progressive narrowing of the arteries due to atherosclerosis reduces blood flow in the lower extremities. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic PAD in patients admitted to an internal medicine ward as well as the risk factors for the onset of the condition. This study included 98 institutionalized patients without a history of PAD. Based on the value of ankle-brachial index (ABI), PAD was classified as mild (0.7-0.9), moderate (0.5-0.7) or severe (<0.5). A detailed lower extremity doppler ultrasound was performed on patients with an ABI index <0.9 to provide more accurate information on peripheral arterial disease. The prevalence of asymptomatic PAD was 10.2%. The mean age of patients with positive ABI was 74. The main risk factors associated with PAD are smoking, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. ABI is a useful and simple tool for detecting asymptomatic PAD. It is also crucial for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular adverse events as well as limb complications.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
Song P, Rudan D, Zhu Y, et al. Global regional, and national prevalence and risk factors for peripheral artery disease in 2015: an updated systematic review and analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2019;7:e1020-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30255-4
Fowkes FGR, Rudan D, Rudan I, et al. Comparison of global estimates of prevalence and risk factors for peripheral artery disease in 2000 and 2010: a systematic review and analysis. Lancet 2013;382:1329-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61249-0
Ganta N, Soherwadi S, Hughes K, Gillum RF. Burden of peripheral artery disease in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean 1990 to 2015. Vasc Endovascular Surg 2018;52:520-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1538574418784709
Song P, Rudan D, Zhu Y, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence and risk factors for peripheral artery disease in 2015: an updated systematic review and analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2019;7:e1020-e30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30255-4
Hirsch AT, Murphy TP, Lovell MB, et al. Peripheral arterial disease coalition. Gaps in public knowledge of peripheral arterial disease: the first national PAD public awareness survey. Circulation 2007;116:2086-94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.725101
Olinic DM, Spinu M, Olinic M, et al. Epidemiology of peripheral artery disease in Europe: VAS educational paper. Int Angiol 2018;37:327-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23736/S0392-9590.18.03996-2
Aboyans V, Ricco JB, Bartelink ML, et al. 2017 ESC guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial diseases, in collaboration with the European Society for Vascular Surgery. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2018;55:305-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy045
Gallino A, Aboyans V, Diehm C, et al. European Society of Cardiology working group on peripheral circulation. Non-coronary atherosclerosis. Eur Heart J 2014;35:1112-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehu071
Fowkes FG. Epidemiology of atherosclerotic arterial disease in the lower limbs. Eur J Vasc Surg 1988;2:283-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-821X(88)80002-1
McDermott MM, Greenland P, Liu K, et al. Leg symptoms in peripheral arterial disease: associated clinical characteristics and functional impairment. JAMA 2001;286:1599-606. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.286.13.1599
Criqui MH, Aboyans V. Epidemiology of peripheral artery disease. Circ Res 2015;116:1509-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.303849
Xu D, Zou L, Xing Y, et al. Diagnostic value of ankle-brachial index in peripheral arterial disease: a meta-analysis. Can J Cardiol 2013:29:492-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2012.06.014
Aboyans V, Criqui MH, Abraham P, et al. Measurement and interpretation of the ankle-brachial index: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2012;126:2890-909. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0b013e318276fbcb
Collins R, Cranny G, Burch J, et al. A systematic review of duplex ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiography and computed tomography angiography for the diagnosis and assessment of symptomatic, lower limb peripheral arterial disease. Health Technol Assess 2007;11:1-184. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta11200
Gerhard-Herman MD, Gornik HL, Barrett C, et al. 2016 AHA/ACC Guideline on the management of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease: executive summary: a report of the American college of cardiology/American Heart association task force on clinical practice guidelines. Circulation 2017;135:e686-725. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000501

How to Cite



1.
Cicconi F. Ankle brachial index for the diagnosis of asymptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. Bleeding Thromb Vascul Biol [Internet]. 2024 Jul. 5 [cited 2025 Nov. 9];3(2). Available from: https://www.btvb.org/btvb/article/view/128
Copyright (c) 2024 The Author(s) Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


Share