American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Practice Exam

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An ABI value of 0.90 or lower is indicative of which condition?

Coronary artery disease
Heart failure
Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
Aortic regurgitation

The correct answer is: Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

An Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) value of 0.90 or lower indicates the presence of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). The ABI is a simple, non-invasive test that compares the blood pressure in a person's ankle with the blood pressure in their arm. In healthy individuals, the ankle pressure should be equal to or higher than the arm pressure due to the arterial supply. When the ABI is 0.90 or lower, it suggests that there is significant narrowing or blockage of the arteries in the legs, which is characteristic of PAD. This condition arises from atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up in the arteries, leading to reduced blood flow. Patients with PAD may experience symptoms such as leg pain while walking (claudication) or may be at increased risk for cardiovascular events. In contrast, the other conditions listed do not specifically correlate with an ABI of 0.90 or lower. For example, coronary artery disease relates to the heart's artery issues rather than blood flow in the legs, heart failure involves the heart's pumping ability, and aortic regurgitation affects the aortic valve function but does not directly impact the ABI measurement. Therefore, the presence of an ABI of 0.90 or lower is specifically indicative