What is peripheral artery disease or PAD? Accumulating plaque on arterial walls is peripheral artery disease. There are risks of peripheral arteries disease. If blood flow to the artery gets obstructed this may result in brain stroke, heart stroke, amputation or ulcerations. These are all very serious conditions.

An ankle brachial index or ABI is a diagnostic tool for peripheral artery disease. The ankle brachial index test is a quick non-invasive way to check your risk of PAD. A low ankle brachial index number can indicate narrowing or blockage of the legs arteries, which increase the risk of circulatory problems, causing heart disease or stroke. A high ankle brachial index number can indicate calcification of the legs arteries, which increase the risk of mortality. The most common symptom of peripheral artery disease in the lower extremities is a painful muscle cramping in the hips, thighs or calves when walking, climbing stairs or exercising.

Emerging evidence now suggests that central blood pressure is better related to future cardiovascular events that is brachial blood pressure. Moreover, antihypertensive drugs can exert differential effects on brachial and central pressure. Therefore, basic treatment decisions on central, rather than brachial pressure, is likely to have important implications for the future diagnosis and management of hypertension.