Ankle-Brachial Index as a Predictor for Cardiovascular Disease in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aim Menopausal women are at an increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases due to ovarian failure with estrogen deficiency. Redistribution of fat leading to abdominal obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Dyslipidemia is one of the risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Prevalence of PAD in women is similar or even higher than men, especially after menopause. ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a gold standard technique to diagnose PAD and acts as an independent prognostic marker to identify patients with high cardiovascular risk. This study aims to compare the ABI between pre- and postmenopausal women and to show that routine use of ABI as a screening tool can be valuable in predicting mortality and morbidity from heart diseases in peri- and postmenopausal women. Material and Methods A cross-sectional study was done on a total of 107 women with no prior medical diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and history of smoking. Fifty pre- and 57 postmenopausal women were included in this study. Anthropometric parameters such as height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were measured. ABI was calculated by measuring the systolic pressures at posterior tibial artery and brachial artery, as per the protocols using digital data acquisition system. Results BMI in postmenopausal women was significantly higher with p = 0.0023. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in postmenopausal women (p = 0.000001), and ABI was found to be significantly lower in postmenopausal women particularly on the left side. Conclusion ABI serves as an efficient indicator of PAD. It becomes necessary to understand the progression of PAD as its presence can increase the risk of mortality and morbidity from CAD. Early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease through simple techniques such as ABI measurement would provide scope for early interventional strategies.