An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | National Institutes of Health

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (🔒) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website.
Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Peripheral Arterial Disease and Cardiovascular Disease Screening and Risk Assessment with the Ankle-Brachial Index

Large, population-based, randomized trials to determine whether screening for PAD with the ABI improves clinical outcomes.
Studies in persons potentially at increased risk for PAD and not already receiving cardiovascular risk reduction interventions.
Studies of screening with the ABI and interventions to stop disease progression in the lower limbs in more diverse populations (e.g., women, racial/ethnic minorities, or persons with lower socioeconomic status) and populations at high risk (i.e., persons with diabetes).

The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with the ankle–brachial index (ABI) in asymptomatic adults.

Peripheral Arterial Disease and Cardiovascular Disease Screening and Risk Assessment with the Ankle-Brachial Index Read full statement 1