Background & Aims: Diabetes mellitus, as the most common metabolic disorder in the world with increasing incidence, is associated with advanced atherosclerotic changes in cardiac, cerebral and peripheral vasculature.  Atherosclerosis by making some changes is related to the cardiac and cerebral vasculature.   Establishment of peripheral vascular complication leads to early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular complication.

Materials & Methods: Measurement of Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) with Colour Doppler ultrasonography was down as a screening test for assessment of atherosclerotic change in 206 patients with type 2 diabetes Mellitus through a cross sectional study. ABI Index less than 0.9 was defined as a predictive norm for atherosclerosis. Ki- square and ANOVA tests were used for data analysis.

Results: 84 male and 122 female with type 2 diabetes mellitus were evaluated. The mean age was 54.08 ± 9.2 and 41 patients, 17 males (41. 5%) and 24 female (58. 5%), had ABI less than 0.9. The meaningful correlation was between abnormal ABI and duration of disease (P=0. 04), cardiovascular event and CCU admission (P=0. 001), hypertension (P=0. 01) and dyslipidemia (P=0. 01).

Conclusion: ABI is a non invasive and reliable assay for detection of peripheral and cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients. In patients with abnormal ABI, long term follow up for earlier detection and prevention of high risk cardiovascular complication is helpful. 

SOURCE: URMIA MED J 2012: 23(1): 96 ISSN: 1027-3727