What type of results do you get and what do the results mean?
After your healthcare provider takes your blood pressure and makes the ankle-brachial index calculation, you’ll get a number that ranges from less than 1 to a little higher than 1.
A normal ankle-brachial index is between 1.0 and 1.4.
| ABI Ratio | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Between 1.0 and 1.4 | Normal. |
| Higher than 1.4 | Stiff blood vessels in your limbs may be from advanced age, diabetes or calcification. |
| Between 0.9 and 1.0 | Borderline. |
| 0.9 or less | You have PAD. |
| Between 0.4 and 0.7 | You have moderate PAD. |
| Less than 0.4 | You have severe PAD. |
| ABI Ratio | |
| Between 1.0 and 1.4 | |
| What It Means | |
| Normal. | |
| Higher than 1.4 | |
| What It Means | |
| Stiff blood vessels in your limbs may be from advanced age, diabetes or calcification. | |
| Between 0.9 and 1.0 | |
| What It Means | |
| Borderline. | |
| 0.9 or less | |
| What It Means | |
| You have PAD. | |
| Between 0.4 and 0.7 | |
| What It Means | |
| You have moderate PAD. | |
| Less than 0.4 | |
| What It Means | |
| You have severe PAD. |
How is ankle-brachial index calculated?
To calculate the ankle-brachial index, take the higher of your two systolic (top number) blood pressures from your two ankle arteries and divide that by the higher systolic blood pressure from your two arm readings. Some people use an average of each pair of readings instead of the higher number.
What does a low ankle-brachial index mean?
If your ABI is 0.9 or lower, you have PAD. You should make an appointment with a vascular medicine specialist. A low ankle-brachial index means you have a higher risk of:
- Heart attack.
- Kidney disease.
- High blood pressure.
- Stroke.
If you have PAD symptoms, but your ABI is just a little low, your provider may want to check your ABI again after you walk on a treadmill. An abnormal result is a decrease of 20% or more after you exercise.
What does a high ankle-brachial index mean?
An ABI ratio higher than 1.4 could mean the blood vessels in your limbs are stiff because of advanced age or diabetes. Researchers have found that people with an ankle-brachial index higher than 1.4 had twice the risk of cardiovascular death.
When should I know the results of my ankle-brachial index test?
The healthcare provider performing your ankle-brachial index test may be able to share results with you when they finish the test. If not, follow up with the provider who ordered the test.
When should I call my doctor?
Contact your healthcare provider if you didn’t get results right after your ankle-brachial index test. Depending on your results, you may need to schedule other testing or treatments.
If you have PAD, you‘ll need to schedule regular appointments with your provider.
You may need to repeat the ankle-brachial index test from time to time, especially if your number is outside of the normal range. Regular testing will help your provider know if your PAD is getting worse. It can also tell your provider how well treatments to open your blood vessels are working.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Having an ankle-brachial index test is a quick and easy way to know if you have peripheral artery disease (PAD). There’s nothing to fear with this test, which doesn’t involve any needles, cuts or sedatives. If your healthcare provider determines that you have the disease, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by catching it early. Treatments are available to improve your condition.
