Background and Purpose: The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) is the ratio of blood pressure in the lower legs to that in the arms. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of extracranial carotid arteries determined by B-mode ultrasound is a measurable index of the presence of atherosclerosis. A low ABI and a high carotid IMT are independently related to increased risk of cardiovascular events. This study examined the association between carotid IMT and ABI in patients with ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively, 116 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke were recruited. Using a pulse wave velocity ABI device along with carotid duplex sonography, we measured carotid IMT and ABI and investigated the correlation between average values. Results: There was a significant difference in carotid IMT between the normal and abnormal ABI groups (P=0.0262). The group with an abnormal ABI was more than five times as likely to have increased carotid IMT as the group with a normal ABI (age, sex-adjusted OR 5.67 (95% CI 1.85~17.38)). The ABI and carotid IMT showed a weak inverse linear correlation in patients with ischemic stroke (correlation coefficient −0.378 after adjusting for age and sex). Conclusion: Our study suggests that an abnormal ABI is associated with a high carotid IMT in patients with ischemic stroke.

• Young Mi Yoon(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Hyung-Suk Lee(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Shin-Hye Baek(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Hye Lim Lee(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Minju Yeo(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Seo Young Choi(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Ji Seon Kim(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Sung-Hyun Lee(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Sang-Soo Lee(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine)
• Dong-Ick Shin(Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine) Corresponding author