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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staffThe ankle-brachial index test is done to check for peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition in which the arteries in your legs or arms are narrowed.
Ask your doctor if you should have this test if you are age 50 or older and have any of these risk factors for PAD:
- Being a current or former smoker
- Diabetes
- Overweight (a body mass index of 25 or greater)
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
If you've already been diagnosed with PAD, your doctor may recommend having an ankle-brachial index test to see if your treatment is working or if your condition has worsened. If you have symptoms of PAD, your doctor may suggest you have an exercise ankle-brachial index test to determine if your symptoms are due to PAD or other conditions, such as spinal stenosis. In an exercise ankle-brachial index test, you walk on a treadmill for a short time before your ankle-brachial index is measured.
- Grenon SM, et al. Ankle-brachial index for assessment of peripheral artery disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;361:e40.
- Ankle-brachial index. Vascular Disease Foundation. http://vasculardisease.org/peripheral-artery-disease/pad-diagnosis/ankle-brachial-index/. Accessed Sept. 18, 2012.
- AskMayoExpert. How are the results of ankle-brachial index testing classified at Mayo Clinic? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- Rooke TW, et al. 2011 ACCF/AHA focused update of the guideline for the management of patients with peripheral artery disease (updating the 2005 guideline): A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines. Circulation. 2011;124:2020.
- Ankle Brachial Index Collaboration. Ankle brachial index combined with Framingham Risk Score to predict cardiovascular events and mortality: A meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:197.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Aug. 24, 2012.
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