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Updated: May 19, 2026
07:46
Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
[Endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients with normal coronary arteries. A peripheral arterial tonometry
Donatella Ruggiero1, Gianluigi Savarese, Roberto Formisano
1Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Scienze Cardiovascolari ed Immunologiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II.
Summary
Diabetic patients exhibit significantly impaired endothelial function (EF) compared to non-diabetics, even without coronary artery disease (CAD). Peripheral artery tonometry (PAT) revealed lower reactive hyperemia index (RHI) in diabetics, highlighting diabetes mellitus (DM) impact on cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Vascular Biology
Context:
- Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is an early marker of atherosclerosis and CVD.
- Peripheral artery tonometry (PAT) is a non-invasive technique to assess endothelial function (EF).
Purpose:
- To evaluate endothelial function (EF) in diabetic versus non-diabetic patients without coronary artery disease (CAD).
- To assess ED using the reactive hyperemia index (RHI) via PAT.
- To determine the relationship between DM and ED.
Summary:
- A cohort of 94 patients (55 men, 39 women; mean age 63) undergoing coronary angiography were divided into diabetic (DM, n=58) and non-diabetic (n=36) groups.
- Endothelial dysfunction was measured by reactive hyperemia index (RHI) using fingertip peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT).
- Diabetic patients showed significantly lower RHI values (1.72 ± 0.34) compared to non-diabetics (2.00 ± 0.44; p < 0.005) and RHI correlated with glycosylated hemoglobin levels.
Impact:
- Endothelial function is significantly impaired in diabetic patients, independent of other cardiovascular risk factors.
- These findings underscore the detrimental impact of diabetes mellitus on cardiovascular health.
- Early detection of ED in diabetics using PAT may aid in cardiovascular risk stratification.
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