title: New fully automated software for assessment of brachial artery flow- mediated dilation with advantages of continuous measurement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is used to evaluate endothelial functions. Computer-assisted analysis utilizing edge detection permits continuous measurements along the vessel wall. We have developed a new fully automated software program to allow accurate and reproducible measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  FMD has been measured and analyzed in 18 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and 17 controls both by manually and by the software developed (computer supported) methods. The agreement between methods was  assessed by Bland-Altman analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age, body mass index and cardiovascular risk factors were higher in CAD group. Automated FMD% measurement for the control subjects was 18.3±8.5 and 6.8±6.5 for the CAD group (p=0.0001). The intraobserver and interobserver correlation for automated measurement was high (r=0.974, r=0.981, r=0.937, r=0.918, respectively). Manual FMD% at 60th second was correlated with automated FMD % (r=0.471, p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new fully automated software© can be used to precise measurement of FMD with low intra- and interobserver variability than manual assessment.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Cardiology, Medikal Park İzmir Hospital, İzmir-Turkey. ertugrulercan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ertuğrul
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ercan
authors.forename: Bahadır
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kırılmaz
authors.forename: İsmail
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Kahraman
authors.forename: Vildan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bayram
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Doğan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation