[Real-time registration of flow-mediated dilatation for the assessment of endothelial function].
Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is used to qualify vascular endothelial function.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of real-time assessment of the stimulus-to-response (i. e. flow-velocity-to-diameter) relationship, repeated FMD was assessed in healthy subjects.


METHODS
Brachial artery diameter and flow velocity were measured simultaneously in 10 healthy male subjects lying in the supine position. These parameters were registered in real-time mode and beat-to-beat by means of a 7.5 MHz linear array transducer attached to a custom-built Wall Track System and an 8 MHz continuous wave Doppler.


RESULTS
Post-ischaemic increase in arterial diameter amounted to 5.9 +/- 2.9 % with an average increase in blood flow velocity of 487 +/- 174 %. The relative change in diameter was not correlated to the relative increase in flow velocity.


CONCLUSIONS
Continuous registration of FMD can be performed. Motion artefacts, however, interfere with the real-time registration of FMD.
Stifft
F
F
Fachbereich für Biophysik Universität Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Dammers
R
R
Tordoir
J
J
Hoeks
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography