Dataset Information

Current utility of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in general practice: implications for its use in cardiovascular disease screening.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a marker of systemic atherosclerosis and associated with a three to six fold increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes. Furthermore, it is typically asymptomatic and under-diagnosed; this has resulted in escalating calls for the instigation of Primary Care PAD screening via Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) measurement. However, there is limited evidence regarding the feasibility of this and if the requisite core skills and knowledge for such a task already exist within primary care. This study aimed to determine the current utility of ABI measurement in general practices across Wales, with consideration of the implications for its use as a cardiovascular risk screening tool.

Method

A self-reporting questionnaire was distributed to all 478 General Practices within Wales, sent via their responsible Health Boards.

Results

The survey response rate was 20%. ABI measurement is primarily performed by nurses (93%) for the purpose of wound management (90%). It is infrequently (73%?< 4 times per month) and often incorrectly used (42% out of compliance with current ABI guidance). Only 52% of general practitioners and 16% of nurses reported that patients with an ABI of ? 0.9 require aggressive cardiovascular disease risk factor modification (as recommended by current national and international guidelines).

Conclusion

ABI measurement is an under-utilised and often incorrectly performed procedure in the surveyed general practices. Prior to its potential adoption as a formalised screening tool for cardiovascular disease, there is a need for a robust training programme with standardised methodology in order to optimise accuracy and consistency of results. The significance of a diagnosis of PAD, in terms of associated increased cardiovascular risk and the necessary risk factor modification, needs to be highlighted.

SUBMITTER: Davies JH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4021160 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Current utility of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in general practice: implications for its use in cardiovascular disease screening.

Davies Jane H JH Kenkre Joyce J Williams E Mark EM

BMC family practice 20140417

<h4>Background</h4>Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a marker of systemic atherosclerosis and associated with a three to six fold increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes. Furthermore, it is typically asymptomatic and under-diagnosed; this has resulted in escalating calls for the instigation of Primary Care PAD screening via Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) measurement. However, there is limited evidence regarding the feasibility of this and if the requisite core skills and knowledge for ...[more]

PMID: 24742018

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Project description:BackgroundThe ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a marker of generalized atherosclerosis and is predictive of future cardiovascular events. However, few studies have assessed its relation to long-term future cardiovascular events, especially in patients with borderline ABI. We therefore evaluated the relationship between long-term future cardiovascular events and ABI.MethodsIn the IMPACT-ABI study, a single-center, retrospective cohort study, we enrolled 3131 consecutive patients (67 ± 13 years; 82% male) hospitalized for cardiovascular disease and measured ABI between January 2005 and December 2012. After excluding patients with an ABI > 1.4, the remaining 3056 patients were categorized as having low ABI (? 0.9), borderline ABI (0.91-0.99), or normal ABI (1.00-1.40). The primary endpoint was MACE (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction [MI] and stroke). The secondary endpoints were cardiovascular death, MI, stroke, admission due to heart failure, and major bleeding.ResultsDuring a 4.8-year mean follow-up period, the incidences of MACE (low vs. borderline vs. normal: 32.9% vs. 25.0% vs. 14.6%, P<0.0001) and cardiovascular death (26.2% vs. 18.7% vs. 8.9%, P<0.0001) differed significantly across ABIs. The incidences of stroke (9.1% vs. 8.6% vs. 4.8%, P<0.0001) and heart failure (25.7% vs. 20.8% vs. 8.9%, P<0.0001) were significantly higher in the low and borderline ABI groups than in the normal ABI group. But the incidences of MI and major bleeding were similar in the borderline and normal ABI groups. The hazard ratios for MACE adjusted for traditional atherosclerosis risk factors were significantly higher in patients with low and borderline ABI than those with normal ABI (HR, 1.93; 95%CI: 1.44-2.59, P < 0.0001, HR, 1.54; 95% CI: 1.03-2.29, P = 0.035).ConclusionsThe incidence of long-term adverse events was markedly higher among patients with low or borderline ABI than among those with normal ABI. This suggests that more attention should be paid to patients with borderline ABIs, especially with regard to cardiovascular death, stroke, and heart failure.

Project description:Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) are used as non-invasive indicators for detecting atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness, two well-known predictors of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ABI and baPWV have independent associations with mortality; however, their joint and interactive effects on mortality have not been assessed in patients with T2DM. This work aims to evaluate the independent, joint, and interactive associations of ABI and baPWV with all-cause and expanded cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in patients with T2DM. This observational study included 2160 patients with T2DM enlisted in the Diabetes Care Management Program database of China Medical University Hospital from 2001 to 2016 and then followed their death status until August 2021. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the independent, joint, and interactive effects of ABI and baPWV on the risk of all-cause and expanded CVD mortality. A total of 474 patient deaths occurred after a mean follow-up of 8.4 years, and 268 of which were attributed to cardiovascular events. Abnormal ABI (≤ 0.9) and highest baPWV quartile were independently associated with increased risks of all-cause [ABI: hazard ratio (HR) 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-2.11; baPWV: 1.63, 1.16-2.27] and expanded CVD mortality (ABI: 2.21, 1.62-3.02; baPWV: 1.75, 1.09-2.83). The combination of abnormal ABI (≤ 0.9) and highest baPWV quartile was associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause (4.51, 2.50-8.11) and expanded CVD mortality (9.74, 4.21-22.51) compared with that of the combination of normal ABI and lowest baPWV quartile. Significant interactions were observed between ABI and baPWV in relation to all-cause and expand CVD mortality (both p for interaction < 0.001). Through their independent, joint, and interactive effects, ABI and baPWV are significant parameters that can improve the prediction of all-cause and expanded CVD mortality in patients with T2DM and help identify high-risk patients who may benefit from diabetes care.

Dataset Information

Current utility of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in general practice: implications for its use in cardiovascular disease screening.

Background

Method

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Current utility of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in general practice: implications for its use in cardiovascular disease screening.

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