Determination of the Ankle-brachial Index in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with an Automatic Oscillometric Device

An altered ankle-brachial index (ABI) is an indicator of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Usually the measurement of the systolic pressure in both brachial arteries and pedal pulses is performed with a continuous-wave Doppler ultrasound. Recently an oscillometric automated device is available to measure ABI. This instrument is a simple to use, fast and accurate method suitable for common use in clinical practice. 701 patients with type 2 diabetes who attended consecutively in office were studied by 24 General Practitioners (GPs). 74 patients had an abnormal ABI (≤ 0.90), 240 a borderline ABI (0-90-0.99) and 7 patients ABI ≥ 1.40. All these patients received a Doppler ultrasound examination and 117 had an asymptomatic PAD. GPs reported that the device was easy to use and that it can be an useful instrument of early diagnosis of PAD in daily practice