Combined Use of the Ankle–Brachial Index and Thai Cardiovascular Risk Score for Screening of Atherosclerotic Disease among Community-living Elderly

Abstract

This research was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The objective was to study predictive factors for screening for cardiovascular disease in the elderly, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ankle-Brace Index (ABI), and to evaluate the effectiveness of using the Thai Cardiovascular Risk Score (TCVR) in combination with ABI for screening for cardiovascular disease in the elderly. Data collection from elderly people who underwent atherosclerosis screening by measuring the ankle-brachial index at Suranaree University of Technology Hospital from December 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025. General data, risk factors, and laboratory test results were collected. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression.

The research results found that 129 elderly people who had their blood vessel stenosis examined by measuring the ankle-brachial index were. The average age was found to be 68.56 years and 49.61% for women. Basic factors of elderly people in the community include weight, height, and waist circumference. Men are higher than women, but age and body mass index are not different between men and women. The use of different cut-off points yielded different results in predicting coronary stenosis in the elderly, with separating low, intermediate, and high risk. TCVR score ≥ 20% had an aOR of 2.45 for predicting abnormal ankle-brachial index. In conclusion, the use of different TCVR cut-off points yielded different results in predicting coronary stenosis in the elderly, with the standard TCVR score ≥ 20%. The use of the ABI in conjunction with the TCVR significantly improves the accuracy of cardiovascular disease screening in the elderly. The model is low cost and practically applicable at the primary health care level in Thailand and is aligned with the national and World Health Organization NCD prevention strategies.