Ultrasound Assessment of Endothelial-Dependent Flow-Mediated Vasodilation of the Brachial Artery in Clinical ResearchHugh Alley 1,2,3, Christopher D. Owens 1,2,3, Warren J. Gasper 1,2,3, S. Marlene Grenon 1,2,3
1Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, 2Department of Surgery, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, 3VipeRx Lab, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco
Endothelial dysfunction is associated with numerous disease states and is predictive of adverse cardiovascular events in humans. Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) is a non-invasive ultrasound method of evaluating endothelial function. Methodological choices and operator experience may affect results. A systematic approach to FMD in human studies is discussed here.
