Prognostic value of a low post-exercise ankle brachial index as assessed by primary care physicians.

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether the post-exercise ankle brachial index (ABI) performed by primary care physicians offers useful information for the prediction of death or cardiovascular events, beyond the traditional resting ABI. An additional focus was on patients with intermittent claudication and normal resting ABI.

Methods: Using data from the 5-year follow-up of 6468 elderly patients in the primary care setting in Germany (getABI study) we used multivariate Cox regression models adjusted for age, gender and conventional risk factors to determine the association of resting ABI and/or post-exercise ABI and all-cause mortality/morbidity.

Mortality and vascular morbidity in older adults with asymptomatic versus symptomatic peripheral artery disease.

Background: Our aim was to assess the mortality and vascular morbidity risk of elderly individuals with asymptomatic versus symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the primary care setting.

Methods And Results: This prospective cohort study included 6880 representative unselected patients >or=65 years of age with monitored follow-up over 5 years. According to physician diagnosis, 5392 patients had no PAD, 836 had asymptomatic PAD (ankle brachial index <0.

Profound influence of different methods for determination of the ankle brachial index on the prevalence estimate of peripheral arterial disease.

Background: The ankle brachial index (ABI) is an efficient tool for objectively documenting the presence of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, different methods exist for ABI calculation, which might result in varying PAD prevalence estimates. To address this question, we compared five different methods of ABI calculation using Doppler ultrasound in 6,880 consecutive, unselected primary care patients > or = 65 years in the observational get ABI study.

Association of low ankle brachial index with high mortality in primary care.

Aims: We aimed to assess the increased risk of death and severe vascular events in elderly individuals with subclinical or manifest peripheral arterial disease (PAD), evidenced by low ankle brachial index (ABI < 0.9) in primary care.

Methods And Results: In this monitored prospective observational study, 6880 representative unselected patients aged >or=65 years were followed up over 3 years by 344 primary care physicians.

Relationship between lipid parameters and the presence of peripheral arterial disease in elderly patients.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between various lipid parameters and the presence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the observational epidemiological getABI study (German epidemiological trial on Ankle Brachial Index) with 6,880 unselected elderly patients in 344 primary care centers.

Results: In the multivariate analysis, the strength of the association between the various lipid parameters and PAD was found to be generally limited, when accounting for other risk factors.

Excess 1-year cardiovascular risk in elderly primary care patients with a low ankle-brachial index (ABI) and high homocysteine level.

Previous studies in selected patient samples suggested a high risk for total mortality and cardiovascular (CV) morbidity associated not only with symptomatic, but also with asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Our aim was to assess the 1-year risk of death and CV morbidity associated with PAD in primary care. Furthermore, we quantified the strength of association between low ankle-brachial index (ABI, as indicator for PAD), plasma homocysteine (HC) levels, and various accepted PAD risk factors, and death and outcomes.

High prevalence of peripheral arterial disease and co-morbidity in 6880 primary care patients: cross-sectional study.

We aimed to obtain reliable data on the epidemiology, co-morbidities and risk factor profile of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in general medical practise. In the cross-sectional part of the observational German Epidemiological Trial on Ankle Brachial Index (getABI study), 344 general practitioners throughout Germany determined the ABI of consecutive, unselected patients aged 65 years or older with bilateral Doppler ultrasound measurements. Additional assessments comprised patient history with the focus on atherothrombotic diseases, physical examination, and the WHO questionnaire on intermittent claudication.