A descriptive study to assess the effectiveness of ankle brachial index as a screening tool for patients at risk of cardiovascular disease

Ankle-brachial index (ABI), is the ratio of ankle artery systolic blood pressure to brachial systolic artery pressure, it is known to measure of lower limb peripheral artery disease as well as a marker for other cardiovascular disease events. Prevalence of heart failure in India due to coronary heart disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and rheumatic heart disease ranges from anywhere between 1.3 to 4.6 million, with an annual incidence of 491, 600 to 1.8 million population as per government data. The aim of this study was to compare the ankle brachial index of patients at risk and not at risk of cardiovascular disease. Nonexperimental descriptive research design was used. 300 subjects attending cardiac and medicine OPD were selected and were categorized as 150 into risk and150 not at risk groups respectively. Data was collected using the risk assessment tool and ABI index. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used. Statistical analysis was undertaken using Chi square, Z test and data was presented according to the objectives. There was a significant difference of ankle brachial index in subjects at risk and those not at risk for cardiovascular disease in study group as p value is < 0.001. Thus ankle brachial index as an independent tool is effective and can be used to screen patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. Ankle brachial index independently can be used to screen subjects at risk for cardiovascular disease.