title: The ankle-brachial index is not related to mortality in elderly subjects living in nursing homes.
abstract: Low ankle-brachial index (ABI) levels are associated with increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in middle-aged and older adults. We evaluated the association between low ABI and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in elderly patients living in nursing homes. In 632 subjects (mean age 82.1 +/-7.4 years, 137 men) living in 3 municipal nursing homes, ABI, prevalent cardiovascular diseases, and conventional risk factors were evaluated at baseline in 1998. After a 3-year follow-up the relation between a low ABI and mortality outcomes was evaluated by using multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis. A low ABI (<0.90) was observed in 177 participants (28%). After 3 years, 304 subjects (48.1%) died; death occurred in 53.6% of those with low ABI and in 45.9% of those with normal ABI. No significant relation between low ABI and all-cause (hazard ratio [HR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7-2.0) or cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.3, 95% CI 0.8-2.1) was observed. Among elderly patients living in nursing homes, there is a high prevalence of low ABI, which is not related to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Disciplines, Section of Geriatrics, University of Turin, Italy. mario.bo@unito.it
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanocchi
authors.forename: Leone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molaschi
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D016909:Tibial Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*