JS-HR-1: UPDATE OF VASCULAR FUNCTION

Abstract

Atherosclerosis has two aspects: vascular dysfunction and vascular structural alterations. Both vascular dysfunction and vascular structural alterations are associated with future cardiovascular events. Therefore, the assessments of vascular function and vascular structural alterations may be useful not only for the assessment of the severity of atherosclerosis but also for the stratification of cardiovascular risk. Flow-mediated vasodilation and reactive hyperemia index as indices of endothelial function, nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation as an index of vascular smooth muscle function, and pulse wave velocity as an index of arterial stiffness, have been used for the assessment of vascular function in clinical settings. In this session, we summarize the updated information on the usefulness of vascular function tests in the management of patients with cardiovascular risk factors.