Intertester reliability of brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation using upper and lower arm occlusion in healthy subjects.

The assessment of endothelial function as brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilatation is a widely used technique that determines the effect of risk factor intervention and may have the potential to predict the clinical benefit of antiatherogenic therapy. Previous studies suggest that flow-mediated dilation is greater using the upper-arm occlusion technique, but no data are available to compare intertester reliability between technicians. This study was undertaken to compare the amount of hyperemia between upper and lower occlusion techniques and to determine reproducibility between testers.

The acute effect of aerobic exercise on brachial artery endothelial function in renal transplant recipients.

This study compared the effect of a 30-minute walk on brachial artery endothelial vasodilatation in kidney transplant (KT) recipients and healthy controls (HCs). Endothelial-dependent vasodilatation was measured by ultrasound before and after exercise. The HCs experienced a significant increase in vasodilatation after exercise 1 minute postocclusion when compared with the KT recipients (22%+/-13% vs 3%+/-4%; P<.

Treating hypothyroidism improves endothelial function.

Hypothyroidism patients have increased cardiovascular risk, although the mechanism is not defined. Endothelial dysfunction may initiate atherosclerosis, is present in patients with hypothyroidism, and therefore may link hypothyroidism and vascular disease. We are unaware of studies examining the effect of thyroid replacement therapy on endothelial function in hypothyroid patients.