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[Prevalence of an abnormal ankle-brachial index in relation to the cardiovascular risk estimated by the Framingham

Ignacio Vicente1, Carlos Lahoz, Manuel Taboada

  • 1Centro de Salud de Fuencarral, Madrid, Spain.

Medicina Clinica
|May 11, 2005
PubMed

Insights

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) identifies lower limb atherosclerosis, a marker for cardiovascular disease. In primary prevention, individuals with moderate and high cardiovascular risk show a higher prevalence of abnormal ABI, indicating a need for intensified preventive strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Preventive Medicine

Context:

  • The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for peripheral artery disease.
  • An abnormal ABI (< 0.9 or > 1.4) is linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk and mortality.
  • Despite its prognostic value, ABI measurement is underutilized in primary care settings.

Purpose:

  • To investigate the association between ABI values and established cardiovascular risk scores in a primary prevention cohort.
  • To determine the prevalence of abnormal ABI in relation to different cardiovascular risk strata.

Summary:

  • A study of 1001 primary care patients without known cardiovascular disease found abnormal ABI in 6.4% of subjects.
  • Multivariable analysis identified age, smoking, HDL-cholesterol, and hypertension as significant predictors of abnormal ABI.
  • The prevalence of abnormal ABI increased with cardiovascular risk, observed in 2.6% of low-risk, 8.7% of moderate-risk, and 14.9% of high-risk individuals.

Impact:

  • Findings highlight that approximately 1 in 10 moderate-risk and 1 in 6 high-risk individuals in primary prevention have an abnormal ABI.
  • These results suggest that ABI screening in primary prevention can identify individuals who may benefit from more aggressive cardiovascular risk management.
  • The study underscores the importance of integrating ABI measurement into routine primary care for enhanced cardiovascular risk assessment and intervention.
Abstract

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