Objective: Assessment of ankle brachial index (ABI) is a method of peripheral artery disease diagnosis. Its role has been established as a predictor of cardiovascular events. The role of ABI in the hypertensive patients without cardiovascular has not been studied. The aim of study was assessment of the relationship between ABI, target organ damage and ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensives.

Methods: 355 hypertensive patients (199 males, 56%) without history of renal or cardiovascular disease were examined. The ambulatory blood pressure (Spacelabs 90207), echocardiography (Vivid 7 Pro™), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT, ArtLab system), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central blood pressure (Sphygmocor) were measured. Ankle brachial index (blind Doppler), left ventricular mass index, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, MDRD formula) were calculated.

Results: In the population ABI (mean 1.05 ± 0.11) was weakly related to central pulse pressure (r = −0.12; p = 0.02), but not to central SBP (r =0.04; p = NS). ABI was not linked to 24-h SBP (r = 0.03; p = NS), 24-h pulse pressure (r =0.08, p = NS), LVMI (r =0.01; p =NS, or eGFR (r = 0.10; p = NS). There was no correlation between ABI and other indices of arterial wall properties: IMT (r = 0.06; p = NS) or PWV (r =0.03; p = NS).

Conclusion: ABI is weakly related to central pulse pressure, but not to ambulatory or central blood pressure. ABI is not linked to other markers of cardiac and vascular damage in hypertensives without cardiovascular disease.