title: Ultrasonographic measurement of flow-mediated vasodilation in dogs with chronic valvular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in healthy dogs and in client-owned dogs with chronic valvular disease (CVD) and to investigate possible correlations between markers of CVD severity and FMD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve dogs with CVD and 11 healthy weight-matched dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brachial artery FMD following 5 min inflation of a cuff around the antebrachium was measured in 12 dogs with CVD and 11 healthy weight-matched dogs. Measurements were also obtained in the healthy dogs 5 min after cuff placement but without inflation ('sham cuff placement'). Dogs with CVD underwent echocardiography to confirm and characterize their disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In healthy dogs (median age 4 [2-6] years), median FMD was 7.7% versus 3.4% with sham cuff placement (P = 0.003). In dogs with CVD (median age 8 [4-16] years) median FMD was 5.5% versus 7.7% in healthy dogs (P = 0.131). FMD showed an inverse correlation with left ventricular end-diastolic diameter normalized for body weight (r = -0.76, P = 0.0043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brachial FMD in dogs with early CVD inversely correlates with severity of left ventricular remodelling.
authors.affiliation: Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK. ijones@rvc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ian D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Virginia Luis
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boswood
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hezzell
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wrigglesworth
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mateus
authors.forename: Walasinee
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Moonarmart
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000662:veterinary*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*