ANKLE BRACHIAL PRESSURE INDEX HELPS TO CLARIFY CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

Introduction and Objective Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) causes symptoms, most notably leg pain when walking (intermittent claudication). 70%–80% patients are asymptomatic. Of patients with intermittent claudication, only 7% will undergo lower extremity bypass surgery, 4% major amputations, and 16% worsening claudication, but stroke and heart attack events are elevated, and the 5-year mortality rate is estimated to be 30% (versus 10% in controls). Method 24 general practitioners from all regions of Slovakia under supervision of specialists - angiologists assessed 2207 consecutive patients over 60 years. We use ultrasound blood flow detector - Doppler probe and a sphygmomanometer to measure brachial and ankle blood press. Then we calculated Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI). Results and Conclusions 9,4 % of patients had decreased ABPI < 0,9 and 23,2 % of patients ABPI > 1,2. 67,4 % of patients had normal ABPI 0,9-1,2. By questionnaire of risk factors and complications we detected that patients with decreased ABPI have significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Decreased ABPI is more often in men, smokers, diabetics, suffered by high blood pressure, patients with dyslipidemia and people with lower education. Patients with lower ABPI are at high risk of stroke and heart attack events so they need further active management of risk factors. ABPI test is a similar and cheap tool for the non-invasive screening of PAD. Examination may help in the further practice not only in the differential diagnosis of lower extremity pain, but also clarify cardiovascular risk.