Evaluation of the Relationship Between the Endothelial Function of the Brachial Artery and Coronary Artery Disease by High-Resolution Ultrasound

Objective To evaluate the impairment of the flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) by using B-mode high-resolution ultrasound. Methods Angiography revealed CAD (≥50% diameter stenosis) in 28 patients (CAD group) and normal coronary arteries in 26 patients (non-CAD group). Vasodilation following reactive hyperemia and after sublingual nitroglycerin was assessed in the brachial artery using B-mode high-resolution ultrasound. The difference of risk factors between the two groups was compared. Results CAD patients showed markedly impaired FMD compared to the non-CAD group (4.17%±2.98%, P=0.03). Nitroglycerin induced similar degree of vasodilation in the two groups. There was significant difference in the number of risk factors and cigarette smoking between the two groups. Conclusion The study indicates that the impairment of FMD in the brachial artery, a marker of systemic endothelial function, is closely related to CAD. This non-invasive assessment of flow-mediated dilation in the brachial artery could be used as a kind of methods to measure coronary endothelial function.