Change in Ankle-Brachial Index Predicts Adverse Cardiovascular Outcome

Peripheral arterial disease can be diagnosed noninvasively when the ankle-brachial index (ABI) is low (<0.70). In this two-site study, California researchers measured ABIs and recorded cardiovascular risk factors in 508 subjects who were followed for 6 years. Earlier ABI measurements (mean, 5 years) were extracted from medical records.

In analyses adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors, low ABI ratios were significantly associated with excess total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and combined cardiovascular morbidity and mortality at 6 years. Declines of 0.15 or more in ABI between prior ABI measurements and those performed at the beginning of the study were associated with significantly higher risk for all-cause mortality (risk ratio…