Vascular reactivity in healthy subjects: simultaneous characterization of arterial pressure and diameter time profiles

Abstract

Endothelial cells are involved in the local regulation of blood flow and vessel diameter, playing multiple roles, both in health and disease. Changes in endothelial functions are defined as endothelial dysfunction (ED). In vivo non-invasive evaluation of ED and vascular reactivity can be performed by means of different approaches, where Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD) and Peripheral Arterial Tonometry (PAT) measurements (in terms of a post occlusive reactive hyperemia maneuver, PORH) are considered the most relevant. The main objective of this study was to perform the evaluation of FMD and PAT simultaneously, in healthy men and women, in order to characterize the pressure and diameter time profiles during PORH. Different exponential functions were fitted to systolic pressure and diameter responses, suggesting a differentiated vascular behavior between genders.