Cross-sectional study of the ankle-brachial index and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The incidence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and cardiovascular (CV) events in the female population has been on the increase. AIM: To analyse the risk factors of a CV event and PAD in women and to assess the usefulness of the ankle-brachial index (ABI). METHODS: Evaluation of selected parameters in a cohort of 365 women living in the same district. The following data were prospectively recorded weight, height, waist size, hip circumference, smoking, the intima-media complex, ABI value, and laboratory results. PAD symptoms, CV events and neurological events were noted. ABI was analysed assuming pathology for values ≤ 0.9 or ≤ 1.0. RESULTS: Age, plasma glucose level, atrial fibrillation, and nicotine addiction were correlated independently with CV disease and stroke (p < 0.001). The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, height, and systolic blood pressure were correlated independently with ABI values (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between the occurrence of a CV event in the past and the ABI, irrespective of the cut-off point for the reference value (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence that stricter criteria for the assessment of ABI better represent the vascular status in the female population.