Relation between conduit vessel stiffness (assessed by tonometry) and endothelial function (assessed by flow-mediated dilatation) in patients with and without coronary heart disease

Endothelial dysfunction and large artery stiffness occur in patients with risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and in those with established CAD. We evaluated the relation between endothelial function and conduit vessel distensibility in normal subjects, in patients with documented stable CAD, and in patients demonstrating only risk factors but no overt atherosclerosis. Endothelium-dependent dilatation was evaluated by way of flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery using high-resolution ultrasound. Large artery stiffness was assessed using tonometry. After adjusting for age and intergroup differences, percent flow-mediated dilatation showed statistically significant correlations with several measures of stiffness, including central pulse pressure (r = −0.457, p = 0.019), central systolic pressure (r = −0.442, p = 0.024), peripheral pulse pressure (r = −0.393, p = 0.039), peripheral systolic pressure (r = −0.398, p = 0.036), and proximal aortic compliance (r = 0.390, p = 0.049). Measures of arterial stiffness correlate significantly with those of endothelial function. An increase in large conduit vessel stiffness may represent either a cause or consequence of endothelial dysfunction and may explain why elevated pulse pressure is a new cardiovascular risk factor.