Non-invasive measurement of the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery are increasingly used as surrogate markers of vascular disease. Using ultrasound, we measured the diameter of the popliteal artery at rest and during reactive hyperaemia after release of 5-minute arterial occlusion. We also measured IMT of the common carotid artery. In 29 control subjects (average age 35 years) we demonstrated an increase in the diameter by 6.0 +/- 3.3% (p < 0.05), in 29 asymptomatic patients with hyperlipidemia (without therapy, average age 46 years) only by 0.9 +/- 3.0% and in patients with coronary heart disease (average age 50 years) only by 0.2 +/- 2.7%. The difference between patients and control subjects was highly significant (p < 0.001). IMT was 0.58 +/- 0.10 mm, 0.78 +/- 0.17 mm and 1.03 +/- 0.25 mm respectively (p < 0.001). We conclude that in patients FMD of the popliteal artery is smaller and IMT of the common carotid artery is thicker than in controls.

3 interní klinika 1 lékarské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy a Vseobecné fakultní nemocnice Praha U nemocnice 1 128 08 Praha 2 Czech Republic