Flow-mediated dilatation and intima-media thickness in patients with lacunar infarctions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate systemic endothelial function and atherosclerotic changes in patients with lacunar infarctions (LI) we examined flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and intima-media thickness (IMT) and compared them to patients with similar risk factors (SR) and healthy controls.


METHODS
FMD and IMT were investigated in patients with LI (20 patients, aged 60.9 +/- 7.3 years), 21 age- and gender-matched patients with SR and 21 healthy controls.


RESULTS
FMD was more impaired in patients with LI (0.4% +/- 5.0%) compared to patients with SR (3.8% +/- 4.8%) and healthy controls (7.9% +/- 6.0%) (P < or = 0.01), whereas IMT was similarly thickened in both groups of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that patients with LI have a diminished FMD, but a similar IMT, compared to patients with SR. Our results reveal that for a given level of atherosclerosis patients with LI have additional endothelial impairment.
Department of Neurology, Ljubljana Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia. janja.pretnar@kclj.si
J
J
Pretnar-Oblak
M
M
Sabovic
T
T
Pogacnik
M
M
Sebestjen
M
M
Zaletel
D000368:Aged; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*