Reliability of the measurement of the flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery by ultrasonography

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Reliability of the measurement of the flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery by ultrasonography

To the Editor,

We read with great interest the article by Meirelles et al¹, on the reliability of the measurement of the flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery by ultrasonography in 13 apparently healthy, non-smoking volunteers. In this study, the authors were careful to use the standard methodology and the recommendations of the International Brachial Artery Reactivity Task Force (2002). However, we consider that automatic, continuous, real-time measurement, from the start of cuff release until the third minute after decompression, with simultaneous ECG tracing is the most adequate recording method for this type of study^2,3. On the other hand, the individual numerical values of the brachial artery diameters must also be informed for their appropriate correction with exclusion of diameters < 2.5 mm or > 5.0 mm.

Although significant information can be acquired through the analysis of the Bland-Altman charts, a study with a larger sample size would be interesting⁴.

We agree with the clinical relevance of this method in the assessment of endothelial function in individuals with risk factors⁵, early atherosclerotic disease and in the evaluation of cardiovascular pharmacological therapy. Recent studies have also demonstrated an association of functional alterations in the vascular endothelium with genetic markers (polymorphisms) of the components of the endothelial nitric oxide system and NO-cyclic GMP pathways in the vascular endothelium of hypertensive individuals and controls⁶.

Nonetheless, it is necessary to adopt national standardization of the terminology used to describe this method used worldwide since its first description by Celermajer et al⁷ in 1992.

Juan Carlos Yugar Toledo

Heitor Moreno Júnior

Rua Las Vegas, 200, Condomínio Debo

15.093-010, São José do Rio Preto - Brazil

E-mail: [e-mail]

References

• 1. Meirelles CM, Leite SP, Montenegro CAB, Gomes PSC. Confiabilidade da medida da dilatação fluxo-mediada da artéria braquial pela ultra-sonografia. Arq Bras Cardiol.2007;89(3):173-86.
• 2. Sonka M, Liang W, Lauer RM. Automated analysis of brachial ultrasound image sequences:early detection of cardiovascular disease via surrogates of endothelial function, IEE Trans Med Imaging.2002;21(10):1271-9.
• 3. Gemignani V, Fasta F, Ghiadoni L, Pogganti E, Demi M. A system for real time measurement of the brachial artery diameter in B-mode ultrasound images. IEE Trans Med Imaging.2007;26(3):393-404.
• 4. Peretz A, Leotta DF, Sullivan JH, Trenga CA, Sands FN,Aulet MR, et al. Flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery:and investigation of methods requiring further standardization. BMC cardiovasc Disord.2007,7:11.
• 5. Yugar-Toledo JC, Tanus-Santos, Sabha M, Souza MG, Cittadin JM,Tacito LH , et al. Uncontrolled hypertension, uncompensated type II diabetes, and smoking have different patterns of vascular dysfunction. Chest.2004;125(3):823-30.
• 6. Yugar-Toledo JC, Ferreira-Melo SE, Consolim-Colombo FM, Irigoyen MC, Coelho OR, Moreno HJR. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor promotes na endothelium NO-dependent like vasodilatation in patients with refractory hypertension. Nitric Oxide.2007;16(3):315-21.
• 7. Celermajer DS, Sorensen KE, Cooch VM, Spieglhalter DJ, Miller OI, Sullivan ID, et al. Non-invasive detection of endothelial dysfunction in children and adults at risk of atherosclerosis. Lancet. 340(8828):1111-5.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  05 Jan 2009
• Date of issue
  Nov 2008