Ankle-brachial index: a surrogate marker of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus?
Papanas N,Symeonidis G,Mavridis G,Georgiadis G S,Papas T T,Lazarides M K,Maltezos E
International angiology : a journal of the International Union of Angiology
AIM:The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of ankle-brachial index (ABI) as a marker of microvascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS:This study included 126 type 2 diabetic patients (64 male and 62 female) with an age of 66.6+/-5.3 years (mean+/-SD) and diabetes duration of 13.2+/-4.1 years. ABI was measured with a Doppler device. The exclusion criterion was the medial arterial calcification. Patients were also examined for microalbuminuria, retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy. RESULTS:ABI was significantly lower in patients with microalbuminuria than in those without microalbuminuria (0.91+/-0.17 vs 1.05+/-0.13, P=0.004), in patients with retinopathy than in those without retinopathy (0.91+/-0.18 vs 1.06+/-0.1, P=0.005), as well as in patients with neuropathy than in those without neuropathy (0.94+/-0.17 vs 1.06+/-0.11, P=0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of ABI <0.9 were 48.8% and 87.9% respectively for microalbuminuria, 39.1% and 93% respectively for retinopathy and 47% and 90.7% respectively for neuropathy. In multiple regression analysis, significant predictor of microalbuminuria was diabetes duration (P=0.0014), significant predictor of retinopathy was diabetes duration (P=0.001), while significant predictors of neuropathy were diabetes duration (P=0.001), male sex (P=0.001) and presence of retinopathy (P=0.047). CONCLUSION:ABI is significantly lower in patients with than in those without microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes. An ABI <0.9 has a low to modest sensitivity, but a high specificity for the diagnosis of these complications. Our results suggest a potential role for ABI as a surrogate marker of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients.
Validation of the relationship between ankle-brachial and toe-brachial indices and infragenicular arterial patency in critical limb ischemia.
Bunte Matthew C,Jacob Jessen,Nudelman Benjamin,Shishehbor Mehdi H
Vascular medicine (London, England)
The relationship between ankle-brachial index (ABI) remains uncertain relative to clinical and angiographic features of critical limb ischemia (CLI). From July 2011 to February 2013, 89 consecutive patients with CLI had non-invasive testing for indications of rest pain (n=23, 26%), as well as minor (n=29, 33%) and major (n=37, 42%) ischemic tissue loss. All patients subsequently underwent ABI testing and lower extremity angiography with visualization of the infragenicular arteries. Toe-brachial index (TBI) testing was available among 31 of these patients. Among patients with any ischemic tissue loss, 29% had an ABI between 0.7 and 1.4. Patients with rest pain alone had reduced odds of abnormal arterial runoff in univariate (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.90; p=0.002) but not multivariate (p=0.50) analysis. Advanced age, increased ABI, reduced creatinine clearance, hyperlipidemia, and prior coronary artery disease were predictive of abnormal infragenicular runoff. Despite limitations in statistical power, median TBI, compared to ABI, tended to increase when infragenicular arterial runoff was preserved. Overall, the association of TBI with abnormal runoff was not significant (p=0.38). In conclusion, in the evaluation of CLI, nearly one-third of patients with any ischemic tissue loss had a normal or mildly reduced ABI. Assessment of TBI may augment the diagnostic accuracy of ABI in the evaluation of CLI.
10.1177/1358863X14565372
Screening for Peripheral Artery Disease and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment With the Ankle-Brachial Index: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.
,Curry Susan J,Krist Alex H,Owens Douglas K,Barry Michael J,Caughey Aaron B,Davidson Karina W,Doubeni Chyke A,Epling John W,Kemper Alex R,Kubik Martha,Landefeld C Seth,Mangione Carol M,Silverstein Michael,Simon Melissa A,Tseng Chien-Wen,Wong John B
JAMA
Importance:Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis in the lower limbs. It can impair walking and, in severe cases, can lead to tissue loss, infection, and amputation. In addition to morbidity directly caused by PAD, patients with PAD are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, because atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that also causes coronary and cerebrovascular events. Objective:To update the 2013 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for PAD and CVD risk with the ankle-brachial index (ABI). Evidence Review:The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on whether screening for PAD with the ABI in generally asymptomatic adults reduces morbidity or mortality from PAD or CVD. The current review expanded on the previous review to include individuals with diabetes and interventions that include supervised exercise and physical therapy intended to improve outcomes in the lower limbs. Findings:The USPSTF found few data on the accuracy of the ABI for identifying asymptomatic persons who can benefit from treatment of PAD or CVD. There are few studies addressing the benefits of treating screen-detected patients with PAD; 2 good-quality studies showed no benefit of using the ABI to manage daily aspirin therapy in unselected populations, and 2 studies showed no benefit from exercise therapy. No studies addressed the harms of screening, although the potential exists for overdiagnosis, labeling, and opportunity costs. Studies that addressed the harms of treatment showed nonsignificant results. Therefore, the USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient and that the balance of benefits and harms of screening for PAD with the ABI in asymptomatic adults cannot be determined. Conclusions and Recommendation:The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for PAD and CVD risk with the ABI in asymptomatic adults. (I statement).
10.1001/jama.2018.8357
Pedal Acceleration Time An Alternative Tool To Ankle-Brachial Index In Peripheral Arterial Disease.
Portuguese journal of cardiac thoracic and vascular surgery
INTRODUCTION:Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) is a well-established diagnostic tool for evaluating peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Limitations in its application led to the development of alternative diagnostic methods, including Toe-Brachial Index (TBI) and Transcutaneous Pressure of Oxygen (TcPO2), yet these are not as widely available as ABI. Recently, Pedal Acceleration Time (PAT), has gained popularity as a new tool to assess PAD, requiring only an ultrasound. This study seeks to further establish the correlation between ABI and PAT, determining whether PAT can be a reliable alternative for diagnosing and assessing the severity of PAD. METHODS:ABI and PAT were measured in patients attending our consult with no history of vascular or endovascular surgery. Limbs with unmeasurable ABI were excluded. Patients were categorized into groups based on their PAD stage according to the Fontaine classification. Patient demographics, comorbidities and respective ABI and PAT were analysed. RESULTS:Sixty-nine patients (114 limbs) were included in the study. Mean age 68 ± 11.7 years, 78.3% male and 33.3% diabetic patients. Fifty-three claudicant limbs (46.5%) and 26 limbs (22.8%) with chronic limb threatening ischemia. Pearson correlation coefficient between ABI and PAT, showed a strong negative correlation (r= -0.78; p<0.01). Mean ABI and PAT for limbs in Fontaine stage I were 0.94 ± 0.17 and 82.0 ± 27.4 ms; Fontaine stage IIa 0.69 ± 0.21 and 141.3 ± 57.8 ms; Fontaine stage IIb 0.54 ± 0.14 and 173.4 ± 65.1 ms; Fontaine stage III 0.43 ± 0.15 and 216 ± 33.2 ms; Fontaine stage IV 0.49 ± 0.17 and 206.7 ± 78.1 ms, respectively. CONCLUSION:Our study suggests an inverse correlation between ABI and PAT, in accordance with the findings published in the literature, thus supporting the use of PAT as an easily reproducible and efficient alternative to ABI for evaluating the severity of PAD.
10.48729/pjctvs.409
Ankle brachial index measurements in critical leg ischaemia--the influence of experience on reproducibility.
Mätzke S,Franckena M,Albäck A,Railo M,Lepäntalo M
Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:While the use of ankle brachial indices (ABI) in the screening for peripheral arterial obstructive disease is widely accepted, the applicability of ABI in the identification of critical leg ischaemia (CLI) is far from settled. The aim was to assess inter-observer variability of ABI measurements in patients with CLI. MATERIAL AND METHODS:The study was conducted in two parts. In both parts a hand-held 9.5 MHz Doppler device was used. PART A: ABI was measured by 7 measurers with variable measurement experience in 22 limbs of patients admitted to the surgical ward because of CLI. The agreement between the measurements was assessed. PART B: Inter-observer agreement in measuring ABI was assessed between 2 trained vascular technicians measuring 33 limbs in patients with CLI on the vascular outpatient clinic. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:Part A: 16% of the ABI-values differed 0.15 or more from the median and the mean coefficient of variation was 56.1. Part B: The difference between measurements did not exceed 0.14 with a mean coefficient of variation of 3.2. To obtain reproducible and quantitative measurement values the measurements have to be performed by trained personnel. Measurements performed by untrained personnel can only be regarded as qualitative.
10.1177/145749690309200206
An analysis of IN.PACT DEEP randomized trial on the limitations of the societal guidelines-recommended hemodynamic parameters to diagnose critical limb ischemia.
Shishehbor Mehdi H,Hammad Tarek A,Zeller Thomas,Baumgartner Iris,Scheinert Dierk,Rocha-Singh Krishna J
Journal of vascular surgery
OBJECTIVE:Recent small single-center data indicate that the current hemodynamic parameters used to diagnose critical limb ischemia are insensitive. We investigated the validity of the societal guidelines-recommended hemodynamic parameters against core laboratory-adjudicated angiographic data from the multicenter IN.PACT DEEP (RandomIzed AmPhirion DEEP DEB vs StAndard PTA for the treatment of below the knee Critical limb ischemia) Trial. METHODS:Of the 358 patients in the IN.PACT DEEP Trial to assess drug-eluting balloon vs standard balloon angioplasty for infrapopliteal disease, 237 had isolated infrapopliteal disease with an available ankle-brachial index (ABI), and only 40 of the latter had available toe pressure measurements. The associations between ABI, ankle pressure, and toe pressure with tibial runoff, Rutherford category, and plantar arch were examined according to the cutoff points recommended by the societal guidelines. Abnormal tibial runoff was defined as severely stenotic (≥70%) or occluded and scored as one-, two-, or three-vessel disease. A stenotic or occluded plantar arch was considered abnormal. RESULTS:Only 14 of 237 patients (6%) had an ABI <0.4. Abnormal ankle pressure, defined as <50 mm Hg if Rutherford category 4 and <70 mm Hg if Rutherford category 5 or 6, was found only in 37 patients (16%). Abnormal toe pressure, defined as <30 mm Hg if Rutherford category 4 and <50 mm Hg if Rutherford category 5 or 6, was found in 24 of 40 patients (60%) with available measurements. Importantly, 29% of these 24 patients had an ABI within normal reference ranges. A univariate multinomial logistic regression found no association between the above hemodynamic parameters and the number of diseased infrapopliteal vessels. However, there was a significant paradoxic association where patients with Rutherford category 6 had higher ABI and ankle pressure than those with Rutherford category 5. Similarly, there was no association between ABI and pedal arch patency. CONCLUSIONS:The current recommended hemodynamic parameters fail to identify a significant portion of patients with lower extremity ulcers and angiographically proven severe disease. Toe pressure has better sensitivity and should be considered in all patients with critical limb ischemia.
10.1016/j.jvs.2015.11.042
Clinical Characteristics of the Patient With Unmeasurable Ankle-Brachial Index in Endovascular Treatment.
Cureus
Introduction Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is an important indicator to diagnose lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD). However, patients with unmeasurable ABI are sometimes excluded from the analysis and their clinical characteristics are poorly understood. Methods One hundred twenty-two consecutive Japanese subjects (mean age, 72 years), who underwent successful endovascular treatment (EVT) for lower extremity arteries at our hospital were retrospectively studied. Results Of the 122 patients, 23 (19%) patients presented an unmeasurable ABI before EVT. Five of 23 (22%) had still an unmeasurable ABI one day after EVT. Comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hemodialysis, smoking, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and past-EVT history were not different between ABI measurable and unmeasurable patients. However, patients with unmeasurable ABI presented a significantly higher degree of Rutherford category and a smaller number of tibial vessel runoff than patients with measurable ABI before EVT (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). There was no difference in the lesion site between the two groups. The event rate including all-cause mortality, re-EVT, lower limb amputation, and bypass surgery did not differ between two groups four years after EVT. ABI after four years of initial EVT did not differ between pre-EVT measurable and unmeasurable patients (0.96 vs. 0.84, p=0.48). Conclusions Patients with unmeasurable ABI before EVT were characterized by higher degree of Rutherford categorization and a small number of tibial vessel runoff, but there was no significant difference in outcomes during the follow-up period.
10.7759/cureus.39705