title: Increased brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity is associated with impaired endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulse wave velocity and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) are widely used as noninvasive modalities for evaluating atherosclerosis. However, it is not known whether pulse wave velocity is related to FMD in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the alteration in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and endothelial function in CAD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with CAD and thirty control subjects were recruited for this study. baPWV was measured non-invasively using a VP 1000 automated PWV/ABI analyzer (PWV/ABI, Colin Co. Ltd., Komaki, Japan). Endothelial function as reflected by FMD in the brachial artery was assessed with a high-resolution ultrasound device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  baPWV was increased in CAD patients compared with control subjects [(1756.1 +/- 253.1) cm/s vs (1495.3 +/- 202.3) cm/s, P < 0.01]. FMD was significantly reduced in CAD patients compared with control subjects [(5.2 +/- 2.1)% vs (11.1 +/- 4.4)%, P < 0.01]. baPWV correlated with FMD (r = -0.68, P < 0.001). The endothelium-independent vasodilation induced by sublingual nitroglycerin in the brachial artery was similar in the CAD group compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAD is associated with increased baPWV and endothelial dysfunction. Increased baPWV parallels diminished endothelial function. Our data therefore suggest that baPWV can be used as a noninvasive surrogate index in clinical evaluation of endothelial function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Dong-hong
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xin-xue
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ming-guo
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jie-mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ming-de
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014664:Vasodilation