How is peripheral arterial disease diagnosed?

To make a diagnosis, people with signs and symptoms of peripheral arterial disease undergo a resting ankle-brachial index (ABI) test. This test uses Doppler ultrasound to compare blood pressure in the ankles with blood pressure in the arms, at rest. In some people, a resting ABI test is followed up with an exercise ABI test during treadmill walking. A person with an abnormal ankle-to-arm blood pressure ratio (e.g., ABI ≤ 0.90) is typically followed up with ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, or computed tomographic angiography. These imaging tests visualize the affected arteries to identify the location of narrowing (stenosis) or blockage (occlusion) and to measure the extent to which the narrowing/blockage has progressed. These tests help inform the subsequent therapeutic approach.^[1]