Relationship between noninvasively measured endothelial function and peripheral arterial disease

To determine the relationship between endothelial function by means of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (BAFMD) and the clinical severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

We examined the brachial artery diameter by ultrasound, before and after ischemia of the arm in 3 groups of participants- group A: healthy individuals under 30 years, without cardiovascular risk factors (n = 30); group B: patients with PAD and ischemic claudication (n = 30); and group C: patients with critical leg ischemia (n = 20). There were no differences between groups B and C, in regard to age, sex, and main cardiovascular risk factor. The BAFMD was 9.9% in group A compared with 5.5% in the pooled patients group (B + C; P < .001). Significant differences were absent between groups B and C (P > .05). Correlation coefficient of ankle-brachial index/BAFMD was r = .1; P = .49.

Patients with PAD present endothelial dysfunction, but this does not seem to determine the severity of the disease.