Ankle brachial index is a valuable index of the severity of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis

Abstract

Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the ankle brachial index (ABI) and the severity of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS). Material and methods. In total, 138 patients with a complete clinical record were enrolled in this study. The severity of ARAS was judged by renal artery angiography and the ABI was measured according to the method recommended by the American Heart Association. Results. Hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic renal dysfunction and hyperlipidaemia were significantly increased in the ARAS group (p < 0.05 or 0.01), and the ARAS patients were significantly older than the non-ARAS patients (p < 0.05). There were 31 cases of mild renal artery stenosis, 26 of midrange stenosis, 14 of severe stenosis and 16 of bilateral stenosis. In total, 104 cases had a normal ABI, while 34 cases had an abnormal ABI (≤0.9). Abnormal ABI values were not significantly correlated with mild ARAS, but the abnormal ABI value in patients with midrange and severe ARAS was approximately four times the normal ABI in these patients. Conclusion. ABI is a valuable predictive index of midrange to severe ARAS.

Key Words::

• ankle brachial index
• atherosclerosis
• peripheral arterial disease
• renal artery stenosis

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.