Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: To evaluate the ability of Ankle/Brachial Index (ABI), that is a sensitive and specific test for detection of PAD, to foretell the possibility of ischemic heart diseases in diabetic patients.

Materials and Methods: All of diabetic patients who visited in our diabetes research center between May 2000 and May 2001 and were confirmed diabetics since 2 or more years ago were enrolled in the study. The ABI was calculated for all of the patients and their demographic specifications and ischemic heart disease risk factors were recorded. All of the patients refer to perform an exercise test, but 279 patients were conferred to performing stress test. They were containing: 127 patients with ABI =<1.1(group I) and 47 patients with ABI>=1.4(group III) as case groups and, 105 patients with 1.1 60 years (P = 0.02). 238 patients were in group I (25.1 %), 625 patients in group II (65.9 %) and 85 patients in group III (9 %). 52.8% of 125 patients in Group I, 19.6% of 107 patients in group II, and 44.7% of 47 patients in Group III had positive exercise test. I, II (P  0.00)- II , III (P = 0.05) A total of 108 patients from among the 279 patients had positive exercise test (38%), and most of them were from groups I &III. 72.2% of group I , and 52.5% of group II had high blood pressure (P  0.00). Both hypertensive and normotensive patients with ABI =<1.1 & >=1.4 had positive exercise test significantly more than patients with 1.1=1.4 is an independent predictor of coronary artery diseases in diabetic patients especially in those who are hypertensive.