Postocclusive Reactivity of Radial Artery in Patients with Essential Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia or Diabetes Mellitus

To investigate the peripheral vascular reactivity in patients with hypertension (HT) hypercholesterolemia (HC) or diabetes melitus (DM), one minute postocclusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) response of the radical artery by pulsed Doppler echography was assessed. Subjects were 10 patients with HT, 8 patients eith HC, 8 patients with DM, and 19 control subjects [11 older controls (Group O) and 8 younger controls (Group Y)] without HT, HC nor DM. Ages were matched between Groups O, HT, HC and DM. The pulsed Doppler indices were time to peak response (Tp) and recovery half-time (T1/2) of time-velocity integral of the radial arterial flow velocity signals. Also, the percent increase of the radial arterinal diameter from rest (%ΔD) was determined on a color flow imaging. Tp was significantly longer in Group O (2.3±0.3 sec) than in Group Y (1.4±0.1 sec) (p < 0.05). Also, T1/2 was significantly longer in Group O (7.4±0.9 sec) than group Y (4.3±0.5 sec) (p < 0.05). These data suggested that the early PORH response was prolonged and the reactivity of the resistance vessels was impaired with aging. Then, %ΔDs of HT, HC and DM groups were compared that of Group O. %ΔD was significantly smaller in HT group than group O within the initial 30 seconds after reperfusion, and significantly smaller in HC group until 3 minutes after reperfusion (p < 0.05). DM group was not different from group O in %ΔD. These results suggested that flow-mediated dilation of the radial artery during PORH response was impaired in the HT and HC groups. Thus, the analyses of the PORH response using Doppler echogram and color flow imaging were useful for evaluation of peripheral vascular reactivity in the radial artery.

Postocclusive reactive hyperemia

Pulsed Doppler echography

Color flow imaging

Radial artery

Flow-mediated dilatation