Association of ankle brachial pressure index with heart rate variability in a rural screening clinic

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) can be associated with atherosclerosis and/ or peripheral neuropathy, which can be characterized by impairment of sensory, motor or autonomic nervous system. A noninvasive test to detect PVD is the ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI). Autonomic nervous system function can be determined by assessing heart rate variability from an ECG recording. No clear association between PVD and cardiac autonomic dysfunction has been demonstrated to date.