Comparative study of vasodilatation function of the brachial and superficial femoral arteries in elderly patients with atherosclerotic disease of lower extremity / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate endothelium-dependent dilation (flow-mediated dilation, FMD) and endothelium-independent dilation(nitroglycerin-mediated dilation, NMD) of the brachial and superficial arteries in elderly patients with atherosclerotic disease(LEASD) of the lower extremity, and to evaluate the correlation between brachial and superficial femoral FMD and NMD and their characteristics. Methods Both FMD and NMD of the brachial artery and the superficial femoral artery were determined in 33 old LEASD patients with the high-resolution ultrasound, and the results were compared with that of 40 healthy elderly controls and 30 non-LEASD elderly patients with cardiovascular risk factors, respectively. Results Both FMD and NMD of the brachial artery and the superficial femoral artery were significantly lower in 33 elderly LEASD patients compared with those of 40 healthy elderly controls and 30 non-LEASD elderly patients but with cardiovascular risk factors (P