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Updated: May 29, 2026

Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function
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[Vascular function tests to assess risk for cardiovascular diseases]

Hirofumi Tomiyama1, Akira Yamashina

  • 1Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan. tomiyama@tokyo-med.ac.jp

Rinsho Byori. the Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology
|September 28, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Vascular function tests like pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AI) detect arterial abnormalities. These tests predict cardiovascular events, offering insights beyond traditional risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular diagnostics
  • Vascular biology
  • Medical imaging

Context:

  • Morphological assessment of atherosclerotic vascular damage is achievable via imaging techniques like ultrasound, CT, and MRI.
  • Functional vascular abnormalities in atherosclerosis can be identified using tests such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AI), and flow-mediated brachial artery vasodilatation (FMD).

Purpose:

  • To review the applicability and limitations of various vascular function tests in assessing atherosclerosis.
  • To highlight the predictive value of PWV and AI for cardiovascular events.

Summary:

  • Imaging modalities provide morphological insights into atherosclerotic damage.
  • Vascular function tests, including PWV and AI, reveal functional abnormalities and predict cardiovascular outcomes independently of conventional risk factors.
  • Meta-analyses confirm the prognostic significance of PWV and AI in cardiovascular disease.

Impact:

  • Enhances understanding of non-invasive cardiovascular risk assessment.
  • Informs clinical practice regarding the utility of vascular function testing.
  • Supports the integration of functional vascular assessment into cardiovascular disease management strategies.

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