Checking peripheral artery disease (PAD)
In healthy individuals, systolic blood pressure levels are physiologically higher in the lower limbs than in the arms. This is a combined effect of reflections and amplification of pulse waves, as well as changes in the thickness of the artery walls. This relationship can be quantified by comparing the ankle to the brachial systolic pressure, known as the ankle-brackial index (ABI). A decrease in this ratio indicates a late stage of atherosclerosis and possible compromise of blood perfusion secondary to obstructive lesions in the arteries.