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SPECIAL ARTICLE: NON‐INVASIVE MEASUREMENT OF ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION
Author(s) -
Playford DA,
Watts GF
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1998.tb02269.x
Subject(s) - hyperaemia , brachial artery , forearm , endothelial dysfunction , medicine , cardiology , vasodilation , endothelium , nitric oxide , coronary artery disease , blood flow , surgery , blood pressure
SUMMARY 1. Endothelial dysfunction, due to reductions in nitric oxide (NO) action, is an early feature of macrovascular disease. 2. Non‐invasive measurement of endothelial function may be assessed by postischaemic dilatation of forearm vessels, using plethysmography, or flow‐mediated dilatation of the brachial artery, using ultrasound. 3. Brachial flow‐mediated dilatation reflects NO release and/or action more than forearm hyperaemia. 4. These techniques have been used as surrogate measures of coronary endothelial function. 5. Methodological, physiological and clinical aspects of the techniques are discussed.