To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Measuring Endothelial Dysfunction by Doppler Ultrasonography Predicts Cardiovascular Risk Early: Presented at ASCP URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22EFA2.htm Doctor's Guide October 17, 2008
By Maggie Schwarz BALTIMORE, Md -- October 17, 2008 -- Estimating endothelial dysfunction in patients at risk of developing full-blown metabolic syndrome can predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality before even 3 of 5 criteria for metabolic syndrome are met, according to research presented here at the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) 2008 Annual Meeting. Sufian Zaheer, MD, Department of Pathology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh, India, and colleagues assessed the vasodilatory response in the brachial artery by high-resolution ultrasonography in 45 patients with metabolic syndrome and 20 healthy volunteers. Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe the coexistence of obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension, and is also known as insulin resistance syndrome or syndrome X. The researchers theorised that estimation of endothelial dysfunction in patients at risk of developing full-blown metabolic syndrome may help predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality early in the course of the disease. Endothelial dysfunction can be defined as the partial or complete loss of balance between vasoconstrictor and vasodilator factors, growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting factors, proatherogenic and antiatherogenic factors, and procoagulant and anticoagulant factors. Endothelial cell function can be estimated invasively by coronary catheterisation or noninvasively by ultrasound. In their study, presented on October 16, Dr. Zaheer and colleagues found that the strongest multivariate correlates of endothelial dysfunction were levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as age. According to Dr. Zaheer, the most striking finding was the predictability of the covariates on the outcome of endothelial dysfunction in a stepwise multiple regression model. HDL was the most significant of all the predictors in the regression model, and accounted for 66.4% of predictability and 44.1% of total variance. Only HDL was inversely associated with endothelial dysfunction, whereas all other variables were directly related to endothelial dysfunction. Noninvasive evaluation of endothelial dysfunction by means of colour Doppler ultrasound is an easy, inexpensive, easily available, and reproducible method, Dr. Zaheer said. It serves as a predictor and marker for future cardiovascular risk, especially in patients with metabolic syndrome, he concluded. [Presentation title: Correlation of Lipid Profile With Endothelial Dysfunction by Brachial Artery Flow-Mediated Dilatation. Abstract P648] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.