Comparative study of ankle-brachial pressure index in male smokers of Western India

Abstract

Background: Smoking is prevalent among the masses, yet the smokers are ignorant about the influence of smoking on peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Smoking is associated with atherosclerosis which in lower limb leads to PAD. The beginning stages of PAD are often asymptomatic, and early symptoms are often dismissed by subjects as “just leg pain.” Identifying patients with asymptomatic PAD are essential to reduce morbidity and mortality. Ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) is a test, which can be used routinely to screen asymptomatic PAD patients. The cutoff value of ABPI