Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Ultrasound Assessment of Flow-Mediated Dilation of the Brachial and Superficial Femoral Arteries in Rats
Published on: November 3, 2016
Flow mediated dilatation of Taiwanese women with normal singleton pregnancies
Wen-Chien Hou1, Jui-Yu Chen2, Hsin-Yi Huang2
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hsin Chu Armed Force Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Objective:
To determine the normal values of flow mediated dilatation (FMD) in Taiwanese women with normal singleton pregnancies for the early detection of preeclampsia.
Materials And Methods:
Data of women with normal singleton pregnancies seen at the Tri-Service General Hospital and Taiji Clinic between January 2014 and December 2015 were collected and analyzed. FMD was measured using high-resolution ultrasonography of the brachial artery for the assessment of endothelial function at the first and second trimester. The relationship between the FMD values and maternal gestational age was analyzed.
Results:
A total of 122 pregnant women were included in the study. Systole FMD values first and second trimester were 9.05 ± 3.72 and 10.93 ± 3.74, respectively; and the diastole were 9.24 ± 3.64 and 11.18 ± 3.93, respectively. FMD and gestational age were positively correlated (systole, p = 0.0175; diastole, p = 0.0149).
Conclusion:
The normal values of FMD in Taiwanese women with normal singleton pregnancies were established, and data suggests that both systolic and diastolic FMD increase with gestational age. Because of the high failure rate, measurement of FMD may not be suitable as a routine clinical examination.
Related Concept Videos
Bernoulli's Equation for Flow Normal to a Streamline
The pressure difference depends on the fluid's velocity and radius of curvature. The pressure variation is minimal in flows with nearly straight streamlines. However, the...
Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Normal Distribution
Normal Stress
When a rod is under axial loading, the internal forces and corresponding stress are normal to the plane of the section, so it is termed normal stress. It's important to...
Applications of Normal Distribution
The heights of 15 to 18-year-old males from Chile from 1984 to 1985 followed a normal distribution. The mean height is 172.36...
Introduction to Normal Distributions

