A NJ Vascular Doctor Explains the Ankle-Brachial Index Test

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Vascular medicine is a blanket term that covers the diagnosis and treatment of three very different conditions – heart disease, arterial disease, and vein disease. And yet, there is one medical test that you might encounter whether you are seeking vein disease treatment in New Jersey or whether you are getting your regular checkup for heart and arterial disease.

This diagnostic test is called the ankle-brachial index (ABI) test. It can be used by cardiovascular specialists to test for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or some heart conditions, but it is also used in our vein treatment center in New Jersey to test for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a common cause of varicose veins.

Why is an ABI test performed?

Normal blood pressure readings are measured only at the arm, and are useful, but they give doctors only a "snapshot" of what your blood pressure is at one location in the body at one moment of time. If your doctor were to measure your blood pressure again a few minutes later, they would likely get a different reading. Also, a standard blood pressure reading measures only the internal pressure in your blood vessels, and provides no information about whether your blood is flowing efficiently through them. The ABI test is more useful, because it provides doctors with a painless, non-invasive way to tell whether your arteries and veins are blocked or narrowed, indicating an impaired circulatory system.

ABI tests are performed by cardiologists when they detect risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol levels, high overall blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, or being overweight. Vein doctors perform ABI tests to confirm a diagnosis of CVI or their suspicions of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the presence of blood clots blocking blood flow.

How is an ABI test administered?

It's remarkably like a standard blood pressure reading, only your blood pressure is measured in two locations at the same time. The most common locations are with one cuff on the arm and the other at the ankle, and the whole process is just as painless and non-invasive as a standard blood pressure reading.

The two readings are taken and compared to each other to determine the ankle-brachial index, a measure of the difference between the two pressure readings. A normal ABI index should be in the range of 1.0 to 1.4, which means that the blood pressure is pretty much the same at both locations, and is an indication that blood is flowing properly through your blood vessels.

ABI readings of 0.9 or lower or 1.41 or higher are considered abnormal, and indicate that your blood pressure is different at these two locations. Thus you have a possibility of blocked or narrowed blood vessels, which can indicate PAD or CVI or DVT. An abnormal ABI index is not definitive, but it does tell the doctor that more tests are necessary to determine the cause of your impaired circulation.

Is there more you should know about ABI tests?

Not really. Such tests are a valuable weapon in the fight against cardiovascular disease, but if you have never received one and are hearing about them for the first time in this article, that's good news because it means your circulation is probably pretty good. But if you'd like to learn more about ABI tests or the other diagnostic procedures we use at Chuback Medical Group, you can read the many articles we provide on our website at http://www.chubackmedical.com/ or give our New Jersey vascular doctor a call at 201-693-4847.

Author Bio: Dr. John Chuback, noted NJ Vascular Doctor explains what the ankle-brachial index test is and how it is used to detect vein and arterial disease.