Evaluation ankle-brachial index in patients with ischemic stroke: annual forecast.

Abstract

Introduction. Ischemic stroke is the most common disease of the brain vessels worldwide. In recent years, we began to pay attention to the fact that the evaluation of the ABI may have prognostic value in different cohorts studied, not only in epidemiological studies, but also in patients with the presence of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the prognostic role of abnormal ABI in patients with ischemic stroke. Material and methods. The study included 345 patients with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke. All patients underwent the study status of peripheral arteries using VaSera VS-1000 device. Groups of normal (n = 193) and abnormal ABI (n = 152). Patients were followed up for 1 year, assessed cardiovascular events were compared by the presence of risk factors, severity of neurological deficit, and according to laboratory tests and ultrasound data of the peripheral arteries. Results. The frequency of adverse outcomes (death, recurrent stroke, cardiovascular events) in 1 year after ischemic stroke were 15.6% of patients with a normal ABI and 46.7% of patients with abnormal ABI (p = 0.0001). In patients with abnormal ABI often preserved neurological deficit and the degree of its severity was higher compared to patients with normal ABI. When carrying out logistic regression analysis revealed strong correlation with pathological ABI adverse stroke outcome (OR 4.7; 95% CI 2,8-7,9, p = 0.00008). Conclusions. Evaluation of the ABI can help to identify a group of patients with ischemic stroke with increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular events requiring additional effort on their secondary prevention.