Ankle brachial index (ABI) has been utilized in the management of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).ABI is a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis and recent studies indicate its utility as a predictor of future cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Even so, this critical test is underutilized. The purpose of this review is to summarize available evidence associated with ABI methodology variances, ABI usage in the treatment of PAD, and ABI efficacy in predicting cardiovascular disease. This review further evaluates how ABI is used in the prognosis and follow-up of lower extremity arterial disease.We reviewed the most current American College of Cardiology guidelines for the management of PAD, the Trans Atlantic Intersociety Consensus (TASC) working group recommendations, and searched the Medline for the following words: ankle brachial index, ABI sensitivity and specificity, and peripheral arterial disease.The ABI is a simple, noninvasive clinical test that should not only be applied to diagnose PAD, but also to provide important prognostic information about future cardiovascular events. Although the ABI has been employed in clinical practice for some time, our review of various studies reveals a lack of standardization regarding both the method of measuring ABI and the cutoff point for abnormal ABI. It is extremely important that we understand all aspects of this crucial test, as it is now being recommended as part of a patient’s routine health risk assessment.
Few studies have focused upon the physiological responses to circuit weight training (CWT) in men and women, and an investigation of possible gender differences could lead to optimal exercise prescriptions and improved adaptation outcomes. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of gender on cardiovascular and metabolic responses to CWT and consequent recovery. Ten healthy men and 10 healthy women completed an initial session to collect descriptive data and determine a 12 repetition maximum (12RM) for 6 different upper- and lower-body resistance exercises. This was followed by 2 identical sessions of a CWT protocol on 2 separate days at least 48 hours apart. The first session was used to familiarize subjects with the equipment and the testing protocol. The second session was used to determine physiological responses. Each subject performed 10 repetitions of 6 exercises for 3 circuits at a 12RM load. Vo2 and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were continuously monitored, whereas heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were taken at the end of each circuit. Across the exercise session, men revealed greater absolute and relative Vo2, relative lean body mass Vo2, systolic BP (SBP), RER, and recovery Vo2 when compared with the female subjects. There were no differences in HR, diastolic BP (DBP), or recovery RER. The present study provides a greater insight into gender differences in cardiovascular and metabolic responses to circuit weight training. These gender differences should be taken into consideration for development of CWT protocols for men and women.
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