Raised Ankle/Brachial Pressure Index in Insulin-treated Diabetic Patients

The ankle/brachial blood pressure index (A/B PI) is important in the vascular laboratory assessment of peripheral vascular disease. However it is falsely elevated in diabetes, hence underestimating the true severity of disease. We have therefore examined the influence of diabetes on the A/B PI in 2092 patients, 538 with diabetes, all referred for evaluation of peripheral vascular disease. The prevalence of a raised A/B PI (≤1.5) in insulin-treated patients (18.3%) was much higher (p 30 years had a higher prevalence of raised A/B PI than those with a duration of ≥9 years. No significant age effects were seen.