Before treadmill testing with the patient in the
supine position, the right ankle systolic pressure was
measured by Doppler ultrasound (model 841, Parks
Medical Electronics, Aloha, Oregon), and the right
arm systolic pressure was obtained by auscultation.
The same procedure was then performed on the left
side. Duplicate pressures at each site were averaged,
and ankle-to-arm systolic blood pressure ratios were
calculated from these pressures. Immediately after
exercise, the subjects returned to the supine position.
Within 1 minute, systolic pressures were obtained in
the arm with the highest resting pressure and in each
ankle to determine postexercise ankle-to-arm ratios.