Comparison of Ankle Brachial Index among Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Age Matched Individuals

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is characterized by reduced blood flow through the arteries in the extremities. It is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality in people with type 2 diabetes. Early detection of PAD based on Ankle brachial index allows for intervention and management of foot problems in an attempt to delay amputation. Most diabetic cases show impaired sympathetic skin response and hence impaired skin temperature which can be used as an outcome measure for impaired blood flow in the feet of diabetic patients. Aim: To compare Ankle Brachial Index among type 2 diabetic and age-matched non-diabetic individuals. To compare Surface skin temperature among the two groups Methodology: This was a comparative study between 23 diabetic individuals between 40-60 years of age with Type-2 DM duration of more than 5 years and on medication (Group A) and 23 age-matched non-diabetics (Group B). Ankle brachial index (ABI) and Surface skin temperature were compared between the two groups using hand-held vascular Doppler and infrared thermometer respectively. The data of ABI and surface skin temperature passed the normality test and, hence were compared using an unpaired t-test. Result: There was no statistically significant difference between the mean ABI values of the two groups (p=0.841). There was a statistically significant difference between mean surface skin temperature for the two groups (p=0.012). However, the difference was too less to be considered clinically significant. Conclusion: There is no significant difference in ABI and Skin temperature among subjects with and without diabetes. Key words: Type 2 DM, Peripheral arterial diseases, Ankle brachial index, Skin temperature.