Is impaired flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery a cardiovascular risk factor?
Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis. Over the past decade, a non-invasive technique has evolved to evaluate flow-mediated vasodilation ([FMD), an endothelium-dependent function, in the brachial artery. FMD decreases with increasing age and subjects with diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, smokers and hypertension have decreased FMD. There are a few concise studies reporting that FMD predicts cardiovascular events. However, the assumption that focal measurement of brachial artery FMD predicts coronary artery disease deserves further investigation.
Department of Cardiology, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, S 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden. stefan.agewall@cardiol.hs.sll.se
Stefan
S
Agewall
D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003935:Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*