All three indices to evaluate arterial compliance were feasible to obtain in a general elderly population and were inter-related. Although all of the techniques were correlated to Framingham risk score, only carotid artery distensibility and the stroke volume to pulse pressure ratio were independently related to coronary risk, suggesting complementary use of these two indices of arterial compliance in the future.
Background-Three different techniques to evaluate endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the peripheral circulation have been described but not simultaneously tested in a large-scale population-based setting. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of these techniques in the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study. Methods and Results-In the population-based PIVUS study (1016 subjects aged 70 years), the invasive forearm technique with acetylcholine given in the brachial artery (EDV), the brachial artery ultrasound technique with measurement of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and the pulse wave analysis method with -2-agonist (terbutaline) provocation were successfully used in 87%, 97%, and 86% of the sample, respectively. The results of EDV and pulse wave analysis were interrelated (rϭ0.12, Pϭ0.0013), but no relationships were found with FMD measurements. All 3 techniques were correlated to the Framingham risk score (rϭ0.10 to 0.12, Pϭ0.0007 to 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, however, only EDV and FMD were independently associated with the Framingham score. Conclusions-All 3 evaluated techniques were feasible to perform in a general elderly population.
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