title: [Endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickness in relation to cardiovascular risk factors in patients without clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelial dysfunction and increased intima-media thickness are early findings in the development of atherosclerosis that can be assessed non-invasively by echography. The aim of this study was to investigate endothelial function and intima-media thickness, and the relation between these processes and cardiovascular risk factors in patients without clinical atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two subjects were studied, 39 with one or more cardiovascular risk factors and 13 with none. Vascular echography was performed to analyze endothelium-dependent vascular dilatation in the brachial artery and intima-media thickness in the common carotid artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to patients without risk factors, patients with cardiovascular risk factors more frequently had impaired vascular dilatation after ischemia, 11.98 4.61% vs 2.77 2.57%, (P<.0.001; mean difference = 9.21%, 95% CI of the difference 6.33-12.07%) and a greater intima-media thickness, 0.085 0.024% vs 0.057 0.014 cm (P < 0.0001; mean difference = 0.028 cm, 95% CI of the difference, 0.017-0.04 cm). There was a significant negative correlation between intimal-media thickness and endothelial dysfunction (r = -0.357; P<0.01). Linear regression analysis showed that intima-media thickness was independently related to age and the presence of hypertension, while endothelial function was related only with the presence of hypertension, smoking, and hyperlipoproteinemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients without clinical atherosclerotic disease, cardiovascular risk factors were associated with impaired endothelial function and increased intima-media thickness. There was a negative correlation between endothelial-dependent vascular dilatation and intima-media thickness.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Enfermedades del Corazón. Hospital Ramón y Cajal. Madrid. Spain. jmoya@hrc.insalud.es
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campuzano
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Moya
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Lledó
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salido
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tomas
authors.forename: Paz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Catalán
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muriel
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Asín
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D005996:Nitroglycerin