Venous or arterial endothelium evaluation for early cardiovascular dysfunction in hypertensive patients?

Veins and arteries have active endothelium, producing vasoactive substances like nitric oxide. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether hypertensive patients exhibit venous endothelial dysfunction and to determine the relationship between endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent vasodilation responses in venous and arterial systems. Sixteen unmedicated patients with stage I and II hypertension and without other risk factors and 15 matched normotensive volunteers had venous and arterial endothelial function evaluated with the dorsal hand vein technique and brachial artery ultrasonography.

[Venous endothelial dysfunction in Chagas' disease patients without heart failure].

Objective: To analyze the venous endothelial function in Chagas' disease patients without heart failure.

Methods: The Chagas' disease Group (G1) was composed by 14 women and 2 men aged 46 +/- 2.7 and the Control Group (G0) by 7 women and 1 man matched by age, weight and height.