Abstract
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is quite common, particularly among the elderly. In advanced phases, it has an important impact in the quality of life, so it is recommended to identify this disease on early stages. Onychodystrophy is a deformity of the nail plate of any origin. Up to 50% are caused by fungal infection, the rest is mainly secondary to inflammatory processes. Nail inspection is a very accessible task, and valuation of PAD with the ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a noninvasive affordable technique. One hundred two self-reported healthy participants were recruited, and the ABI was obtained, as well as inspection of the toenails in search of onychodystrophy. Sixty-seven patients had abnormal ABI measurements. Of these, 39 were diagnosed as having onychodystrophy. These results are statistically significant to support the fact that onychodystrophy may be an early marker of asymptomatic PAD, allowing prompt intervention to ameliorate or stop disease progression.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
