UC San Diego

Background and aims

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a diagnostic test for screening and detecting peripheral artery disease (PAD), as well as a risk enhancer in the AHA/ACC guidelines on the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, our understanding of the association between ABI and cardiovascular risk in contemporary older populations is limited. Additionally, the prognostic value of ABI among individuals with prior ASCVD is not well understood.

Methods

Among 5,003 older adults at ARIC visit 5 (2011-2013) (4,160 without prior ASCVD [median age 74 years, 38% male], and 843 with ASCVD [median age 76 years, 65% male]), we quantified the association between ABI and the risk of heart failure (HF), and composite coronary heart disease and stroke (CHD/stroke) using multivariable Cox regression models.

Results

Over a median follow-up of 5.5 years, we observed 400 CHD/stroke events and 338 HF cases (242 and 199 cases in those without prior ASCVD, respectively). In participants without a history of ASCVD, a low ABI ≤0.9 (relative to ABI 1.11-1.20) was associated with both CHD/stroke and HF (adjusted hazard ratios 2.40 [95% CI: 1.55-3.71] and 2.23 [1.40-3.56], respectively). In those with prior ASCVD, low ABI was not significantly associated with CHD/stroke, but was with HF (7.12 [2.47-20.50]). The ABI categories of 0.9-1.2 and > 1.3 were also independently associated with increased HF risk. Beyond traditional risk factors, ABI significantly improved the risk discrimination of CHD/stroke in those without ASCVD and HF, regardless of baseline ASCVD.

Conclusions

Low ABI was associated with CHD/stroke in those without prior ASCVD and higher risk of HF regardless of baseline ASCVD status. These results support ABI as a risk enhancer for guiding primary cardiovascular prevention and suggest its potential value in HF risk assessment for older adults.