Diagnosis of peripheral artery atherosclerosis relies on two complementary approaches: a structured history using a validated questionnaire to classify claudication as definite or atypical, and the ankle-brachial index (ABI), a non-invasive physiologic test comparing systolic blood pressure in the leg versus the arm. A pressure deficit in the leg relative to the arm indicates obstruction to arterial blood flow, with the magnitude of the deficit correlating with disease severity (mild, moderate, or severe arterial disease). This places the concept within vascular medicine, linking clinical history-taking and non-invasive hemodynamic testing to the diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease.
Diagnosis of peripheral artery atherosclerosis relies on two complementary approaches: a structured history using a validated questionnaire to classify claudication as definite or atypical, and the a…