Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2009 Oct 12:7:88.
doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-7-88.

The AMC linear disability score (ALDS): a cross-sectional study with a new generic instrument to measure disability applied to patients with peripheral arterial disease

Rosemarie Met  1 , Jim A Reekers, Mark J W Koelemay, Dink A Legemate, Rob J de Haan
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The AMC linear disability score (ALDS): a cross-sectional study with a new generic instrument to measure disability applied to patients with peripheral arterial disease

Rosemarie Met et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes. .

Abstract

Background: The AMC Linear Disability Score (ALDS) is a calibrated generic itembank to measure the level of physical disability in patients with chronic diseases. The ALDS has already been validated in different patient populations suffering from chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the clinimetric properties of the ALDS in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Methods: Patients with intermittent claudication (IC) and critical limb ischemia (CLI) presenting from January 2007 through November 2007 were included. Risk factors for atherosclerosis, ankle/brachial index and toe pressure, the Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire (VascuQol), and the ALDS were recorded. To compare ALDS and VascuQol scores between the two patient groups, an unpaired t-test was used. Correlations were determined between VascuQol, ALDS and pressure measurements.

Results: Sixty-two patients were included (44 male, mean +/- sd age was 68 +/- 11 years) with IC (n = 26) and CLI (n = 36). The average ALDS was significantly higher in patients with IC (80, +/- 10) compared to patients with CLI (64, +/- 18). Internal reliability consistency of the ALDS expressed as Cronbach's alpha coefficient was excellent (alpha > 0.90). There was a strong convergent correlation between the ALDS and the disability related Activity domain of the VascuQol (r = 0.64).

Conclusion: The ALDS is a promising clinimetric instrument to measure disability in patients with various stages of peripheral arterial disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health http://www3.who.int/icf/icftemplate.cfm - PubMed
    1. Regensteiner JG, Hiatt WR, Coll JR, Criqui MH, Treat-Jacobson D, McDermott MM, Hirsch AT. The impact of peripheral arterial disease on health-related quality of life in the Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness, Risk, and Treatment: New Resources for Survival (PARTNERS) Program. Vasc Med. 2008;13:15–24. doi: 10.1177/1358863X07084911. - DOI - PubMed
    1. McDermott MM, Mehta S, Liu K, Guralnik JM, Martin GJ, Criqui MH, Greenland P. Leg symptoms, the ankle-brachial index, and walking ability in patients with peripheral arterial disease. J Gen Intern Med. 1999;14:173–181. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.1999.00309.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brach JS, Solomon C, Naydeck BL, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Enright PL, Jenny NS, Chaves PM, Newman AB, Cardiovascular Health Study Research Group Incident physical disability in people with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease: the role of cardiovascular disease. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008;56:1037–1044. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01719.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kuo HK, Yu YH. The relation of peripheral arterial disease to leg force, gait speed, and functional dependence among older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008;63:384–390. - PubMed

Publication types