Primary care physicians are in a pivotal position within the healthcare system to improve the standard of care for patients with PAD. This improvement can be achieved if physicians follow guidelines and measure ABI on all patients in cardiovascular risk group, regardless of presenting symptoms.
According to 2017 ESC Guidelines, individuals who are at risk for PAD:
-Men and women over 50 years of age with family history for PAD
-Men and women younger then 65 years of age with cardiovascular risk factors (hypertensive, overweight, diabetic, smokers)
-Everyone over 65 years of age.
Measurements of the Ankle-Brachial Index may improve the accuracy of cardiovascular risk prediction beyond the Framingham Risk Score. Furthermore, ABI is valuable for assessing the ability of rehabilitation after cardiac procedures or treatment.
Check out the video about peripheral arterial disease and ABI measurement!