BioMed Central, BMC Surgery, S1(12), 2012
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2482-12-s1-s18
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Abstract Background In the last years significant attention has been paid in identifying markers of subclinical atherosclerosis or of increased cardiovascular risk. Method An abnormal ankle/brachial index (ABI) identifies patients affected by lower extremity peripheral arterial disease, and even more important, represents a powerful predictor of the development of future ischemic cardiovascular events. Conclusions In our opinion, ABI is a cardiovascular risk prediction tool with very desirable properties that might become a routine measurement in clinical practice.