title: Association between ankle-brachial index and carotid atherosclerotic disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between the ankle brachial index (ABI) and the measurement of intimal medial thickness (IMT) has not been fully studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate whether the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was higher in patients with ABI < 0.9 than in those with ABI > 0.9.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2011 to December 2011, 118 patients (48 men and 70 women) were enrolled. ABI and IMT Measurements were performed in all patients. Patients were divided in Group 1 (ABI < 0.9) and Group 2 (ABI > 0.9) according to ABI values. Mann-Whitney, Chi-square and Fischer tests were used for comparison among the groups. Pearson's correlation was used to assess correlation between ABI and IMT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of ABI < 0.9 was 29.7%, whereas carotid atherosclerosis > 1.5 mm was 34.7 %. Clinical characteristics were similar between groups 1 and 2: mean age (64 ± 9 vs. 62 ± 7.2 years, p = 0.1), male gender (40% vs. 41%, p = 0.9), hypertension (74% vs. 59%, p = 0.1), diabetes mellitus (54% vs. 35%, p = 0.051), dyslipidemia (26% vs. 24%, p = 0.8), smoking (57% vs. 65%, p = 0.4). The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was higher in group 1 (48.6% vs. 28.9%, p = 0.04). Pearson's correlation between ABI and IMT was -0.235, with a p value = 0.01.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with ABI < 0.9 showed a higher prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis. There was a negative correlation between ABI and IMT.
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas da UFPE, Recife, PE - Brazil. 　dinaldo@cardiol.br
authors.forename: Augusto Cezar Lacerda
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Brasileiro
authors.forename: Dinaldo Cavalcanti de
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Edgar Guimarães
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Victor
authors.forename: Danielle A G Cavalcanti
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Laecio Leitão
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Batista
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values