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Ultrasound Assessment of Endothelial-Dependent Flow-Mediated Vasodilation of the Brachial Artery in Clinical Research
Published on: October 22, 2014
The association between endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular outcomes in a population-based multi-ethnic cohort
Daichi Shimbo1, Cairistine Grahame-Clarke, Yumiko Miyake
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, United States.
Atherosclerosis
|June 10, 2006
Summary
Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) predicts cardiovascular events in the general population, but this association is not independent of traditional risk factors. Lower FMD indicates higher cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Vascular Biology
- Preventive Cardiology
Background:
- Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a marker of endothelial function.
- Its predictive value for cardiovascular events in lower-risk populations is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether FMD predicts cardiovascular events in asymptomatic, general population individuals.
- To assess the independence of FMD's predictive value from established cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, multi-ethnic cohort study (Northern Manhattan Study) of 842 community participants.
- High-resolution ultrasonography used to measure brachial artery FMD.
- Follow-up for cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, vascular death) at 36 months.
Main Results:
- Lower FMD levels predicted cardiovascular events over 36 months (HR=1.12 per 1% decrease, p=0.03).
- Individuals in the lowest two FMD tertiles (<7.5%) had significantly higher event risk compared to the highest tertile.
- This association lost statistical significance in multivariate analysis including cardiovascular risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Non-invasive FMD testing can predict incident cardiovascular events in a multi-ethnic, population-based sample.
- The predictive value of FMD is not independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
