Comparison of ankle-brachial index in patients with and without atrial fibrillation

The aim of this study was to compare the ankle-brachial index between patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and those without atrial fibrillation. Material and Methods. A total of 286 patients admitted to the Clinics of Neurology or Cardiology, Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, during 2008–2010 and referred for a consultation with an internist and/or a cardiologist were included in this study. All patients had at least one prevalent cardiovascular disorder and were screened for diagnosis of permanent AF based on medical records and electrocardiogram and evaluated for the ankle-brachial index (ABI). Peripheral artery disease (PAD) was defi ned as an ABI of 69 years (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3–4.7), and myocardial infarction (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1–5.5). Nearly one-fourth (24.5%) of all patients with an ABI of