If a patient has a resting ABI of 1.0, what do you expect it to be after exercise?

When a patient has a resting Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) of 1.0, this indicates that the blood flow to the legs is normal, as a value of 1.0 suggests that the systolic blood pressure in the ankle is equal to that in the arm. After exercise, in the absence of any significant peripheral artery disease, one would expect the ABI to remain relatively stable.

A resting ABI of 1.0 implies no critical blood flow obstruction, so after exercise, the expected outcome would typically reflect maintained adequate circulation. The ABI may slightly increase or decrease depending on individual responses to exercise, but remaining at the same level reflects a healthy vascular response.

Values lower than 1.0 after exercise could indicate a problem, such as the presence of peripheral vascular disease, where exercise exacerbates existing issues leading to diminished blood flow. Conversely, a value higher than 1.0 would be abnormal, as it indicates that the ankle blood pressures exceed the brachial ones, which typically should not occur under normal circumstances. Therefore, expecting the ABI to remain at 1.0 after exercise aligns with the physiological understanding of the response of healthy vascular function under exertion.