INTRODUCTION:
Peripheral arterial disease (PAO) of the lower extremities occurs in about 5-10% of the population older than 60 years. The measurement of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a basic diagnostic method of PAO. The ABI value contributes to determining the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In 2016, ABI was included in the preventive examination of a general dentist(GP)-

METHODS:
In the observational retrospective study, we compared a set of patients sent to an vascular specialis - angiologost with suspicion of PAO in the first half of 2015 and the first half of 2019 (before and after the inclusion of ABI in the preventive examination). We analysed the specialty of the referring physician, risk factors, clinical findings on the lower limbs.

RESULTS:
The group consisted of 151 patients (50.3% women, 49.7% men). In 2015, 40 patients with suspected PAO were referred for the first time, in 2019 there were 111 patients, which is a statistically significant increase. In 2015, 32.5% of patients were referred by GPs, in 2019 it was 41.4%, which, although not statistically significant, is an increase of 8.9 percentage points. The typical clinical manifestation of PAO - claudication was present in 41.4% of patients. If the referred patient has already developed leg ulceration, unfortunately, his chance of death within 3 years from the first visit to an angiologist was 2.422 times higher than for a patient who was referred without ulceration.

CONCLUSIONS:
It seems that the introduction of ABI measurement into the preventive check-up at the GPs is beneficial. Higher detection of patients with PAO and subsequent management of patients with PAO has the potential to improve quality of life and avoid to limb amputation. In addition to health care system efforts, public awareness of PAO will need to be improved.