title: The association between ankle-brachial index and asymptomatic cranial-carotid stenosis: a population-based, cross-sectional study of 5440 Han Chinese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Routine screening for asymptomatic cranial-carotid stenosis (ACCS) is controversial and recommendation in clinical practice is vague. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is reported as a predictor for cardiovascular disease. However, there is a scarcity of data about the association between abnormal ABI and ACCS. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the relationship between ABI and ACCS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 5440 Chinese adults aged 40-94 years old was recruited from 2010 to 2011. The ABI was measured using a portable Doppler device and ACCS was evaluated by bilateral carotid duplex ultrasound and portable examination devices. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between ABI and ACCS after adjusting for potential confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A low ABI was associated with ACCS [odds ratio (OR) 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42-2.67] after adjusting for potential confounders. When the data were stratified by age and sex, the correlation remained statistically significant in the male (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.60-3.37) and elderly (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.97-4.78) subgroups compared to the female (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.67-2.39) and middle-aged groups (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.77-2.12), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that low ABI is a significant risk factor for ACCS in male and elderly Chinese adults.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tangshan People's Hospital, Hebei United University, Tangshan, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kailuan Hospital, Hebei United University, Tangshan, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.|Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: ankle−brachial index; asymptomatic cranial-carotid stenosis; stroke