Ankle-Arm Blood Pressure Test Predicts Heart Disease Risk

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ABI testing right now isn't for everyone, said Dr. Aaron B. Folsom, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, and a member of the research team.

It is being promoted as a way of measuring the risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), blockage of blood vessels in the legs, and so it is best used for older people, who are at greater risk of PAD, Folsom said. Wider use can be proposed, because "the more information you have, the better you do in classifying cardiovascular risk," Folsom said.

A low ABI reading would mean greater emphasis for that individual on the classic risk factors -- blood cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and the others, Folsom added. "We do have interventions that we know work, such as glucose-lowering and physical activity," he said.

More information

Learn how the ABI is determined and what it means from the Vascular Disease Foundation.