Current research suggests that a blood pressure reading from simply an arm cuff may not give a full picture of one’s arterial health. A new study suggests that getting an ankle brachial index test might give doctors a better view of what’s going on in one’s body. Click here for a description of the study.
Essentially, measuring an ankle brachial index is simple. One measures your blood pressure with a blood pressure cuff on both the arm and ankle and comparing the systolic pressures between the two.
The index allows doctors to better understand the peripheral cardiovascular health the legs. The closer the ratio is to 1:1, the better your cardiovascular health.
A large difference between ones arm and ankle systolic pressure might signify poor cardiovascular health. A recent study found that a “low” ankle brachial index meant double the ten-year mortality rate from a coronary event.
We should emphasize that all studies describe the ankle brachial index as a tool for more accurately measuring ones cardiovascular health along with other tools, like the Framingham risk score. But, it might be worth while to ask your doctor about getting an ankle brachial index at your next physical.
For more information on the ankle brachial index click here.
