Frequency of a low ankle brachial index in the general population by age, sex and deprivation: cross-sectional survey of 28,980 men and women.

OBJECTIVES: An increasing interest is observed in the use of the ankle brachial index (ABI, ratio of systolic blood pressure at the ankle to that in the arm) to assess cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to provide information on the distribution of ABI in a large healthy population, essential for planning implementation of ABI measurement in preventive strategies in the general population. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional survey of the ABI was conducted in 28,980 men and women aged over 50 years, living in central Scotland and free of clinical cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: The ABI was approximately normally distributed in both men (mean 1.06, SD 0.13) and women (mean 1.01, SD 0.11). A total of 10.9% of participants had an ABI