[Prevalence of asymptomatic peripheral artery disease detected by the ankle-brachial index in patients with cardiovascular disease. MERITO II study].

Background And Objective: Patients with polyvascular disease have an increased rate of cardiovascular events and death. Their identification would define a subgroup of the population at very high risk, who would be candidates to intensified preventive measures. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of subclinical peripheral artery disease in subjects with a previous diagnosis of vascular disease in other territories.

[Value of the ankle-brachial index in cardiovascular risk stratification of patients without known atherotrombotic disease. MERITO study].

Background And Objectives: Peripheral arterial disease detected by measurement of ankle-brachial index enables the identification of asymptomatic patients with target organ damage. We have investigated the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (ankle-brachial index < 0.9), and its potential clinical-therapeutic impact, in patients without known atherotrombotic disease from internal medicine practices.