A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ANKLE-BRACHIAL INDEX (ABI) IN NEWLY DETECTED TYPE 2 DIABETIC AND NORMAL INDIVIDUALS

Background:The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) a simple, noninvasive test, is the ratio of the systolic pressure recorded at the ankle compared to that recorded in the arm. A low ABI of 0.9 or < 0.9 is a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and is also considered as a strong predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. PAD is more prevalent in diabetics than in nondiabetics and contributes to progressive and critical causes of limb ischemia caused by atherosclerosis. However, the employment of ABI testing in newly detected T2DM to predict their predisposition to the development if PVD / PAD remains under determined. Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional observational comparative study was conducted in the research laboratory of the Department of Physiology, at a Medical College and Tertiary Healthcare Hospital in the rural setup with 50 non-diabetic, normal individuals and 50 newly detected T2DM individuals. General physical health, Anthropometric measurements, BMI, ABI measurement using traditional continuous wave doppler, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were done and statistically analysed. Results: Basic characteristics did not show significant difference. FPG, HbA1c, ABI showed significant difference in the newly detected T2DM and normal individuals. Conclusions: ABI (a marker of atherosclerotic burden) assessed in newly detected T2DM was lower. Low ABI suggest the initiation of atherosclerotic changes in vascular bed. Inflammation and atherosclerosis are closely associated with each other. The assessment of ABI routinely in newly detected T2DM may help in identifying individuals who are at high risk of developing cardio vascular disease.