Atherosclerosis does not hurt and is therefore often not until the first heart attack. A simple examination by a doctor is at an early stage the vessels of a forecast on the state of the blood. The ABI Test, with surprising accuracy, the individual heart attack and stroke risk.
Atherosclerosis increases massively the risk for blood circulation problems, heart attack and stroke. Anyone who wants to quickly and easily check whether his blood vessels elastic and free from deposits or are already stiffened and narrowed, and this can be done with the so-called ABI-Test. The acronym stands for Ankle-Brachial Index ankle-Arm Index.
“The ABI is regarded as a meaningful Marker for atherosclerosis, before symptoms of the risk of vascular disease range occur,” says doctor Robert smoke, Munich, Germany. In this context, often, peripheral arterial occlusive disease (paod) is called. The pathological narrowing usually affects arteries in the legs or the pelvis. But that also means in most cases that the rest of the body is already affected by arteriosclerosis (generalized arteriosclerosis).
As of the ABI Test to work
The examination takes only a few minutes. The Patient lies on the examination bed. Now, the doctor measures the blood pressure cuff and Doppler probe, the blood pressure at the ankle, then on the upper arm, both measurements are to the right and to the left. What’s important is the systolic, so the first (higher) blood pressure value.
With these two values of the ABI can be according to the following formula to determine:
systolic blood pressure ankle : systolic blood pressure Arm = OJ
In the case of a person with healthy blood both values of vessels are about the same, so, for example, 130. It is expected then 130 : 130 = 1
The physical explanation for the ABI and its significance: The blood vessels of the body with a tube system to compare. They are all on the same level, which is similar to the patient in the fluid (blood) flows with the same pressure through the System, if there are no bottlenecks. “If in between there is a narrowing, it is as if I step with the foot on the garden hose, flowing the liquid to the constriction with a lower pressure,” the doctor explained with simple words.
Ankle-Arm-Index has the highest accuracy in the assessment of the risk for heart attack and stroke
In most cases, the result will be around 1 or slightly above. This means that the arteries are free of atherosclerosis, a risk for stroke and heart attack. “If the blood pressures at the ankle, however, are significantly lower than in the Arm, depending on the form, with great certainty predict that within the next two years, roughly one heart attack occurs if no treatment is done,” warns Robert smoke. The accuracy is up to 100 percent! This connection proves the getABI study clearly. GetAbi stands for the German Epidemiological Trial on Ankle Brachial Index.
Also other studies come to similar results, such that a low ankle-brachial Index is associated with a doubled risk of death.
The ABI values and what they indicate:
- 0.9 to 1.2 is normal, the vessels are free
- Of 0.9 to 0.75: light pad and slight arteriosclerotic changes
- From 0.75 to 0.5: medium-heavy pad and atherosclerosis
- below 0.5: severe manifestation of peripheral arterial disease and atherosclerosis
- over 1.3: this means that the pressure at the ankle is significantly higher than in the Arm, it is probably media sclerosis. “That means that the walls of the vessel (Media) are sklerosiert, therefore, heavily calcified, which may occur in diabetics,” explains Robert smoke.
As it goes to a different ankle-brachial-Index
The ABI is too low or (rarely) too high, further tests, such as ultrasound with Doppler/Duplex, then if necessary, angiography. This diagnostic agent can simultaneously be used for the therapy used, by, for example, in the vascular control of a constricted vessel is stretched.
For whom the ABI Test (life)is important
Many Doctors put every patient that is over 50 years old, this study to detect a risk of arteriosclerosis as early as possible. In any case, however, the following groups to ABI is-measurement:
- Smokers
- Diabetics
- Patients with high blood pressure
- Patients with elevated blood fat values
- Obese
They have been known to have a particularly high risk for atherosclerosis, with its dramatic sequelae. The demand for the investigation was in its practice, by the way, great, says the doctor. And not infrequently he was able to prove the case of alleged Hüftpatienten, with the ABI Test is a pad. The Affected were referred to vascular specialists for therapies such as Dilatation and STENT.
However, so sensible of this investigation, the health insurance, the cost not take. The Patient must therefore reckon with about 30 Euro cost.