Asymptomatic low ankle-brachial index in vascular surgery patients: a predictor of perioperative myocardial damage.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the prognostic value of asymptomatic low ankle-brachial index (ABI) to predict perioperative myocardial damage, incremental to conventional cardiac risk factors imbedded in cardiac risk indices (Revised Cardiac index and Adapted Lee index). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preoperative ABI measurements were performed in 627 consecutive vascular surgery patients (carotid artery or abdominal aortic aneurysm repair). An ABI<0.90 was considered abnormal. Patients with ABI>1.40 or (a history of) intermittent claudication were excluded. Serial troponin-T measurements were performed routinely before and after surgery. The main study endpoint was perioperative myocardial damage, the composite of myocardial ischaemia and infarction. Multivariate regression analyses, adjusted for conventional risk factors, evaluated the relation between asymptomatic low ABI and perioperative myocardial damage. RESULTS: In total, 148 (23%) patients had asymptomatic low ABI (mean 0.73, standard deviation+/-0.13). Perioperative myocardial damage was recorded in 107 (18%) patients. Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that asymptomatic low ABI was associated with an increased risk of perioperative myocardial damage (odds ratio (OR): 2.4, 95% CI: 1.4-4.2) CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that asymptomatic low ABI has a prognostic value to predict perioperative myocardial damage in vascular surgery patients, incremental to risk factors imbedded in conventional cardiac risk indices.