title: Relationship between flow-mediated vasodilation and cardiovascular risk factors in a large community-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationships between flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and cardiovascular risk factors, and to evaluate confounding factors for measurement of FMD in a large general population in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 5314 Japanese adults recruited from people who underwent health screening from 1 April 2010 to 31 August 2012 at 3 general hospitals in Japan. Patients' risk factors (age, Body Mass Index, blood pressure, cholesterol parameters, glucose level and HbA1c level) and prevalence of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease) were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate regression analysis revealed that FMD correlated with age (r=-0.27, p<0.001), Body Mass Index (r=-0.14, p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (r=-0.18, p<0.001), diastolic blood pressure (r=-0.13, p<0.001), total cholesterol (r=-0.07, p<0.001), triglycerides (r=-0.10, p<0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.06, p<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=-0.04, p=0.01), glucose level (r=-0.14, p<0.001), HbA1c (r=-0.14, p<0.001), and baseline brachial artery diameter (r=-0.43, p<0.001) as well as Framingham Risk score (r=-0.29, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that age (t value=-9.17, p<0.001), sex (t value=9.29, p<0.001), Body Mass Index (t value=4.27, p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (t value=-2.86, p=0.004), diabetes mellitus (t value=-4.19, p<0.001), smoking (t value=-2.56, p=0.01), and baseline brachial artery diameter (t value=-29.4, p<0.001) were independent predictors of FMD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FMD may be a marker of the grade of atherosclerosis and may be used as a surrogate marker of cardiovascular outcomes. Age, sex, Body Mass Index, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, smoking and, particularly, baseline brachial artery diameter are potential confounding factors in the measurement of FMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, , Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruhashi
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soga
authors.forename: Noritaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Idei
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kajikawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chayama
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.forename: Ayumu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
authors.forename: Bonpei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamashina
authors.forename: Yukihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult