title: [Ultrasound assessment of endothelial function in Chilean children and adults].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelial dysfunction is an important pathogenetic mechanism in the development of atherosclerosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate endothelial function in Chilean children and adult subjects and to provide normal values of flow mediated dilatation (FMD) in the Chilean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery was measured by high resolution ultrasonography in healthy children (n=32) and adults (n=69) of both gender, in a group of 8 healthy women during 4 periods of pregnancy and late postpartum, and in 22 men and women with a history of stroke or coronary heart disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FMD in boys and girls was 9.9 +/- 3.6 and 10.0 +/- 4.2% respectively (NS). The figures for young women and young men were 11.3 +/- 3.8 and 8.6 +/- 3.9, respectively (p=0.02); for postmenopausal women and older men, 5.5 +/- 6.6 and 7.6 +/- 6.7 respectively (NS). During normal pregnancy and postpartum there were no significant changes in FMD. Patients with cardiovascular disease had a FMD of 0.3 +/- 5.2%, (p <0.001, with other groups).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides values of FMD in healthy Chilean subjects of different ages, and in patients with coronary heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. agermain@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Alfredo M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Irribarra
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.forename: Mary Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Romanik
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leighton
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mardones
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuevas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation
vernacular_title: Evaluación ultrasonográfica de la función endotelial en niños y adultos chilenos.