The use of oscillometric higly accurate blood pressure monitor for the determination of the ankle-brachial index in examination of patients at suspicion on lower limbs arteries atherosclerosis

Abstract

Atherosclerotic involvement of lower limbs arteries is a common disorder associated with a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, requiring an early start of the comprehensive therapy. Typical clinical manifestations of this disease are found only in some patients that encumbers to make timely diagnosis. Determination of ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a reliable approach of the assessment of the state of blood flow in the lower extremities, but the classical technique requires the participation of specially trained personnel and expensive equipment. In the article there is discussed the use of widely available oscillometric blood pressure monitors for the determination of ABI. In a group of 39 patients with high risk of the development of atherosclerosis there was performed a comparison of the results of the determination of ABI with the help of oscillographic blood pressure monitors and ABI evaluated by the method of volumetric sphygmography. There was shown the sufficient accuracy of the determination of ABI with the aid of oscillographic blood pressure monitors and the interrelationship of this index with the risk of detection ofsignificant atherosclerotic involvement of lower limbs arteries according to Doppler ultrasound data. There was demonstrated that this method can be used at the stage of outpatient examination of patients with a high risk for atherosclerotic involvement of lower limbs arteries.