Abstract:

BACKGROUDN: Ankle-brachial index was a simple and effective non-invasive method to diagnose peripheral arterial disease (ankle-brachial index < 0.90). Patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease usually indicated partial vascular symptoms of atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular events and mortality risks.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the epidemiological progress of ankle-brachial index so as to further provide evidences for prevention and control of peripheral arterial disease.
METHODS: Experimental data were retrieved from Pubmed database. Articles about ankle-brachial index were included, but articles about duplicated research and unrelated articles were excluded. A total of 26 articles were finally included.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Studies have shown that peripheral arterial disease could predict the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease. Studies found that the risk factors of peripheral arterial disease included chronic kidney disease, insulin use, proteinuria, MTHFR 677T genotype, age, female, overweight and obesity, hypertension, diabetes history, smoking history, elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and low high-density lipoprotein. It was recommended that the risk factors should be strongly detected in patients with diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Peripheral arterial disease, as a atherosclerosis classic indicator, not only reflects the lower extremity arterial ischemic disease, but also predicts the occurrence and development of cardiovascular disease. The use of ankle-brachial index is a good diagnostic indicator of peripheral arterial disease (ankle-brachial index < 0.9). Although the peripheral arterial disease is a good prediction of cardiovascular events and death, it is not often diagnosed and treated. At present, clinical screening of ankle-brachial index in our country has not been universally popularized and promoted. High-risk population for peripheral arterial disease and lower extremity arterial disease should be recommended for routine checks of ankle-brachial index.