There are many ways to detect if you have Peripheral Arterial Disease.
The most common test is using the ankle-brachial index (ABI), a non-invasive procedure wherein blood pressure cuffs are attached to your bare feet. As the name suggests, it’s placed around the ankles. These cuffs are equipped with a small ultrasound device that measures the limb’s systolic blood pressure.
Another set of cuffs will also be placed on your upper arms.
This screening compares the blood pressure details taken from your upper and lower limbs with a calculation called the ABI. Whether the ABI is beyond the 1.0 to 1.3 normal range or not determines if you have PAD.
These results are shared with your physician. That way, they can determine what to do to ensure that your PAD won’t get worse.