Objective: To evaluate the association of a high ankle brachial index (ABI) with microvascular diseases of diabetes and to compare its strength with that of a low ABI.
Methods: ABI was obtained in 3293 patients undergoing the screening of chronic complications at the Diabetic Center, No. 306 Hospital of PLA during the period of September 2003 to June 2010. The patient profiles and laboratory data were reviewed. The associations of ABI with microvascular diseases of diabetes were determined by univariate and stepwise Logistic regression analysis.
Results: ABI was normal in 3060 patients. 44 had ABI measurements < 0.7, 139 had ABI measurements between 0.7 - 0.9, and 50 had ABI measurements > 1.3. Multivariate analysis indicated that the factors significantly associated with a high ABI were smoking (OR: 2.605; 95%CI: 1.458 - 4.656, P = 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (OR: 1.019; 95%CI: 1.005 - 1.033, P = 0.006). The conditions of nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy were not associated with a high ABI.
Conclusion: Diabetics with a high ABI carry not more adverse atherosclerotic risk factors and suffer no more severe microvascular diabetic complications than those with a normal ABI.