This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 51/6/1512    most recent HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.106088v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Malik, A. R. Articles by Kullo, I. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Malik, A. R. Articles by Kullo, I. J. Related Collections Pathophysiology Clinical Studies Epidemiology

(Hypertension. 2008;51:1512.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Articles

Forearm Vascular Reactivity and Arterial Stiffness in Asymptomatic Adults From the Community

From the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minn.

Correspondence to Iftikhar J. Kullo, MD, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905. E-mail kullo.iftikhar{at}mayo.edu

Vascular reactivity may affect the stiffness characteristics of the arterial wall. We investigated the association between forearm microcirculatory and conduit artery function and measures of arterial stiffness in 527 asymptomatic non-Hispanic white adults without known cardiovascular disease. High-resolution ultrasonography of the brachial artery (ba) was performed to assess forearm microcirculatory function (ba blood flow velocity, local shear stress, and forearm vascular resistance at rest and during reactive hyperemia) and conduit artery function (ba flow-mediated dilatation [baFMD] and ba nitroglycerin-mediated dilatation [baNMD]). Arterial stiffness was assessed by cuff-derived brachial pulse pressure and aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) measured by applanation tonometry. In regression analyses that adjusted for heart rate, mean arterial pressure, height, cardiovascular risk factors, and hypertension medication and statin use, higher baseline ba systolic velocity and systolic shear stress were associated with greater pulse pressure (P=0.0002 and P=0.006, respectively) and higher aPWV (each P<0.0001). During hyperemia, lower ba mean velocity and lower mean shear stress were associated with higher pulse pressure (P=0.045 and P=0.036, respectively), whereas both systolic and mean velocity (P<0.0001 and P=0.002, respectively) and systolic and mean shear stress (P<0.0001 and P=0.003, respectively) were inversely associated with aPWV. baFMD was not associated with pulse pressure but was inversely associated with aPWV (P=0.011). baNMD was inversely associated with pulse pressure (P=0.0002) and aPWV (P=0.008). Our findings demonstrate that impaired forearm microvascular function (in the form of elevated resting blood flow velocity and impaired flow reserve) and impaired brachial artery reactivity are associated with increased arterial stiffness.

Key Words: microvascular function • flow-mediated dilatation • nitroglycerin-mediated dilatation • arterial stiffness • pulse pressure • pulse wave velocity

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. I. Tolea, P. T. Costa, A. Terracciano, M. Griswold, E. M. Simonsick, S. S. Najjar, A. Scuteri, B. Deiana, M. Orru, M. Masala, et al. Sex-Specific Correlates of Walking Speed in a Wide Age-Ranged Population J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, January 5, 2010; (2010) gbp130v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]