Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery and Medical School, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. niku.oksala@tuubi1.net
Despite peripheral arterial disease (PAD), defined as ankle-brachial index (ABI)or=70 years or calf pain during exercise. A total of 817 patients were recruited.
Research methods included interview and Doppler measurement of brachial and ankle pressures.
An ABI(mod)or=1.4 had the strongest association with CVD.
PAD is highly prevalent among patients presenting to primary care. ABI(mod) calculation detects more number of patients at risk at the cost of reduced specificity. The association of high ABI with CVD noted in this study warrants future research for validation.