title: Minimum recovery time between reactive hyperemia stimulus in the repeated measurement of brachial flow-mediated dilatation.
abstract: The ability to undertake repeat measurements of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) within a short time of a previous measurement would be useful to improve accuracy or to repeat a failed initial procedure. Although standard methods report that a minimum of 10 min is required between measurements, there is no published data to support this. Thirty healthy volunteers had five FMD measurements performed within a 2-h period, separated by various time intervals (5, 15 and 30 min). In 19 volunteers, FMD was also performed as soon as the vessel had returned to its baseline diameter. There was no significant difference between any of the FMD measurements or parameters across the visits indicating that repeat measurements may be taken after a minimum of 5 min or as soon as the vessel has returned to its baseline diameter, which in some subjects may be less than 5 min.
authors.affiliation: Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutrition Science, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Alice T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Katie J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Newens
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Abby K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult