Evaluation of peripheral vascular endothelial function with a portable ultrasound device.
Endothelial function can be assessed noninvasively by imaging the brachial artery with ultrasound before and during reactive hyperemia. However, the standard ultrasound equipment typically used for this purpose is limited by size and expense of the machinery. In this study, we compared the ability of a portable ultrasound device to standard ultrasound equipment to visualize the brachial artery for purposes of assessing peripheral vascular endothelial function. The portable device provided comparable imaging of the brachial artery at rest and during hyperemia to that of standard ultrasound technology. These findings support the feasibility of noninvasive evaluation of peripheral endothelial function in the ambulatory setting.
Alsheikh-Ali
Alawi A
AA
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine,Tufts-New England Medical Center Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
Ouda
Husam Z
HZ
Pandian
Natesa
N
Karas
Richard H
RH
Kuvin
Jeffrey T
JT
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012146:Rest; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014664:Vasodilation