title: Ankle-brachial index in screening for asymptomatic carotid and intracranial atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate usefulness of ankle-brachial index (ABI) in the screening for asymptomatic cervico-cerebral atherosclerosis (CCA) against traditional vascular risk assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included a random population sample of 933 Caucasians without prior cardiovascular disease but with a moderate and high vascular risk (REGICOR score 5-9% and ≥ 10%). Presence and degree of CCA was evaluated by color-coded duplex and significant stenosis >50% (SCCA) confirmed by MRA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of significant carotid and/or intracranial stenosis was 6% in the whole population, but increased up to 25% among those subjects with ABI ≤ 0.9 regardless of REGICOR score. Using REGICOR ≥ 10%, the likelihood ratio (LR) for the detection of SCCA was 1.8, while using ABI ≤ 0.90 the LR was 6.0. After multivariate regression analysis, low ABI was independently associated with SCCA whereas REGICOR score was not. Less than 40% of subjects with SCCA were taking antiplatelet drugs or statins at the moment of diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ABI emerged as a useful and simple tool in identifying asymptomatic SCCA in our population. This finding may be important for improving stroke primary prevention strategies.
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jiménez
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Dorado
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Hernández-Pérez
authors: Unitat de Suport a la Recerca Metropolitana Nord, IDIAP Jordi Gol, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Alzamora
authors: Unitat de Suport a la Recerca Metropolitana Nord, IDIAP Jordi Gol, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Pera
authors: Unitat de Suport a la Recerca Metropolitana Nord, IDIAP Jordi Gol, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Torán
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Gomis
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Pérez de la Ossa
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Millán
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Escudero
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Dávalos
authors: Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valladolid, Spain.
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Arenillas
authors: Department of Neurosciencies, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Badalona, Spain. Electronic address: elenacancio@gmail.com.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: López-Cancio
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000517:prevention & control; D044465:White People
keywords: Carotid stenosis; Intracranial stenosis; Primary prevention; Subclinical atherosclerosis