title: Impact of left ventricular ejection fraction on endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelial dysfunction is present in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or with congestive heart failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to evaluate the impact of systolic heart function on endothelial function in patients with CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 283 consecutive patients (mean age 59 years, 176 men) undergoing coronary angiography. Endothelial function was assessed by measuring flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients (n = 236) with an ejection fraction (EF) > or = 55% on routine echocardiogram were younger (mean age 58 vs. 62 years), showed a lower prevalence of diabetes (15 vs. 38%) and myocardial infarction (13 vs. 66%), and showed a higher FMD (4.8 +/- 2.4 vs. 4.0 +/- 2.0%, p < 0.05) than patients (n = 47) with an EF < 55%. The correlation coefficient between FMD/endothelial function and EF/systolic heart function was 0.149 (p < 0.02) in the overall study population. Multivariate analysis showed that of age, gender, frequency of diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, and CAD extent, EF was the only significant independent parameter correlating with FMD in patients with CAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the other tested risk factors, EF surprisingly was the only significant independent parameter correlating with endothelial function in patients with CAD. Our results support the view that endothelial function is an independent prognostic factor in patients with CAD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, College of Medicine, Konyang University Hospital, Daejeon, South Korea. jhbae@kyuh.co.kr
authors.forename: Jang-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bassenge
authors.forename: Moo-Hyun
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Rack
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ki-Young
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yi-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Synn
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwemmer
mesh_terms: D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*