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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
06:35
Ultrasound Assessment of Endothelial Function: A Technical Guideline of the Flow-mediated Dilation Test
Published on: April 27, 2016
Endothelial Function Is Associated With Incident Diabetes Mellitus: The ELSA-Brasil Cohort Study
Karina P M P Martins1, Sandhi M Barreto1, Lidyane V Camelo1
1Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism
|June 16, 2026
Summary
Impaired microvascular endothelial function predicts future diabetes risk in Brazilian adults. This vascular dysfunction is an independent risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, even in individuals without obesity.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Metabolic Disease Research
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is linked to endothelial dysfunction, but the relationship's directionality is debated.
- Microvascular endothelial function plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between microvascular endothelial function and incident diabetes in Brazilian adults.
- To determine if obesity modifies this association.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the ELSA-Brasil cohort, excluding participants with diabetes at baseline.
- Assessment of microvascular endothelial function using peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT), measuring basal pulse amplitude (BPA) and PAT ratio.
- Incident diabetes was tracked over a mean follow-up of 8.8 years using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for covariates.
Main Results:
- 159 out of 1268 participants developed diabetes.
- Higher BPA and lower PAT ratio were associated with increased diabetes incidence.
- Impaired endothelial function, particularly BPA, independently predicted higher diabetes risk (HR 2.13).
Conclusions:
- Impaired endothelial function is an independent predictor of incident diabetes in Brazilian adults.
- This association persists regardless of obesity status.
- Vascular dysfunction is a significant factor in cardiometabolic disease development.
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