Abnormal ankle-brachial index, cardiovascular risk factors and healthy lifestyle factors in hypertensive patients: prospective cohort study from a primary care urban population

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and arterial stiffness (AS) may be hypertension-mediated vascular lesions. Both are determined by an abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI) and are predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. We assessed the relationship in urban hypertensive patients between an abnormal ABI and an ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) score, plus other healthy factors, with unfavourable outcomes. Methods We studied 243 hypertensive patients from a primary care urban population, followed for two years. Clinical data, comorbid conditions, including hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) and hypertension-related comorbidities (HRC), hospitalizations and mortality were also recorded. Results A low prevalence of ideal CVH was observed in urban hypertensive patients. The ABI [less than or equai to] 0.9 group (n = 16) showed a higher proportion of prior CVD other than PAD, mortality and hospitalizations than the ABI > 1.4 group (n = 41), and a poorer lipid, metabolic and renal profile. An inverse relationship between CVH score and ABI [less than or equai to] 0.9 and unfavourable outcomes (HMOD, HRC, death or hospitalization) was observed. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes were independently associated with an ABI [less than or equai to] 0.9. Age, sex, diabetes, CKD, ABI [less than or equai to] 0.9 and ideal cholesterol were also associated with outcomes, but not other CVH metrics. Conclusions Besides a low prevalence of ideal CVH, an inverse relationship between CVH score and ABI [less than or equai to] 0.9 and unfavourable outcomes was observed in hypertensive patients from an urban population. Stronger efforts to promote ideal CVH may improve outcomes in this particular population. Keywords: Hypertension, Ankle-brachial index, Peripheral artery disease, Arterial stiffness, Cardiovascular health metrics, Cardiovascular risk factors