Prevalence of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease and the Value of the Ankle-brachial Index to Stratify Cardiovascular Risk

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.9 and symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD), association with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), and impact of adding ABI measurement to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk screening. Design: Population-basedcross-sectionalsurveyof6262participantsaged35e79inGirona,Spain. Methods: Standardized measurements (CVRF, ABI, 10-year CHD risk) and history of intermittent claudication (IC), CHD, and stroke were recorded. ABI <0.9 was considered equivalent to moderate-to-high CHD risk (�10%). Results: ABI < 0.9prevalencewas4.5%.Only0.62%presentedlowABIandIC.Age,currentsmoker, cardiovasculardisease,anduncontrolledhypertensionindependentlyassociatedwithABI < 0.9in both sexes; IC was also associatedin men anddiabetes in women. Among participants 35e74 free