[Ultrasound assessment of endothelial function in Chilean children and adults].

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is an important pathogenetic mechanism in the development of atherosclerosis.

Aim: To evaluate endothelial function in Chilean children and adult subjects and to provide normal values of flow mediated dilatation (FMD) in the Chilean population.

Subjects And Methods: Flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery was measured by high resolution ultrasonography in healthy children (n=32) and adults (n=69) of both gender, in a group of 8 healthy women during 4 periods of pregnancy and late postpartum, and in 22 men and women with a history of stroke or coronary heart disease.

Results: FMD in boys and girls was 9.9 +/- 3.6 and 10.0 +/- 4.2% respectively (NS). The figures for young women and young men were 11.3 +/- 3.8 and 8.6 +/- 3.9, respectively (p=0.02); for postmenopausal women and older men, 5.5 +/- 6.6 and 7.6 +/- 6.7 respectively (NS). During normal pregnancy and postpartum there were no significant changes in FMD. Patients with cardiovascular disease had a FMD of 0.3 +/- 5.2%, (p <0.001, with other groups).

Conclusions: The present study provides values of FMD in healthy Chilean subjects of different ages, and in patients with coronary heart disease.