title: Arterial dilatory reserve in congestive heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are abnormalities in flow-mediated large vessel relaxation in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The radial arterial diameter and flow responses upon the release of 10 min of forearm arterial occlusion (reactive hyperemia) were measured with ultrasound and Doppler devices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with CHF there was a 26% reduction in peak blood flow (P = 0.09) compared to age-matched controls. However, the increase in arterial diameter that followed the peak blood flow was reduced by 49% in CHF (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The causes of the abnormal flow-mediated large artery relaxation in CHF are unclear; both structural and endothelial abnormalities may contribute.
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zelis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hayoz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drexler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Münzel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hornig
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zeiher
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Just
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Brunner
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia; D008875:Middle Aged; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D014463:Ultrasonography