Ankle-brachial index

Free

E-Newsletters

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Risks

By Mayo Clinic staff

For most people, there are no physical risks involved in an ankle-brachial index test. You may feel some discomfort when the blood pressure cuffs inflate on your arm and ankle, but this discomfort is temporary and should stop when the air is released from the cuff.

If you have severe leg or arm pain, your doctor may not recommend an ankle-brachial index test. Instead of an ankle-brachial index test, your doctor may recommend a different imaging test of the arteries in your legs.

References
  1. Grenon SM, et al. Ankle-brachial index for assessment of peripheral artery disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;361:e40.
  2. ABI. Vascular Disease Foundation. http://www.vdf.org/diseaseinfo/pad/anklebrachial.php. Accessed April 28, 2010.
  3. Ankle brachial index. Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/ankle-brachial-index.shtml. Accessed April 28, 2010.
  4. Espinola-Klein C, et al. Different calculations of ankle-brachial index and their impact on cardiovascular risk prediction. Circulation. 2008;118:961.
MY00074 June 23, 2010

© 1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger