Ankle Test Tells Heart Risk After Stroke, University of North Carolina Study

Phyorg -- The ankle brachial index (ABI) compares blood flow in the ankle and the arm to detect poor circulation caused by fatty plaque buildup in the lower body. Researchers used it to screen 102 stroke and TIA survivors. The investigators found that 26 percent of the survivors had asymptomatic PAD, and they had three times more subsequent cardiovascular events - stroke, heart attacks or death — in the following two years compared to those without PAD. Fifty percent with asymptomatic PAD suffered subsequent events, compared with 16 percent of those without the disease. In addition, PAD was significantly associated with future vascular events, especially strokes.