Screening for Peripheral Arterial Disease in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Stein Bergiers, Bert Vaes, Jan Degryse
Primary Institution: Interuniversitair Centrum voor HuisartsenOpleiding (ICHO), Belgium
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of reduced ankle-brachial index (ABI) in patients aged 80 and over, and can medical history and clinical examination identify those with reduced ABI?
Conclusion
The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is very high in patients aged 80 and over, and current clinical methods do not effectively identify those with low ABI.
Supporting Evidence
- 40% of patients aged 80 and over had a reduced ABI.
- Cardiovascular risk factors did not effectively identify patients with low ABI.
- The clinical examination showed a high negative predictive value for identifying low ABI.
Takeaway
Many older people have a condition called peripheral arterial disease, but doctors often can't tell who has it just by asking questions or doing exams.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study where general practitioners measured ABI in patients aged 80 and over and recorded their medical history and clinical examination results.
Potential Biases
The same doctor performed both the ABI measurement and clinical examination, which could introduce bias.
Limitations
The ABI measurement and clinical examination were not blinded, and details on symptoms of intermittent claudication were not available.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 80 and over from a general practice in Belgium.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 53.4-76.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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