Assessment of vascular function: flow-mediated constriction complements the information of flow-mediated dilatation

Objective:To determine whether vascular function assessed by low-flow-mediated constriction (L-FMC), a novel non-invasive method, complements the information obtained with “traditional” flow-mediated dilatation (FMD).Design and patients:In protocol 1, 12 healthy young volunteers underwent FMD and L-FMC measurements at rest and immediately after isometric exercise of the same hand. In protocol 2, 24 patients with coronary artery disease, 24 with congestive heart failure, 24 hypertensive patients and 64 healthy volunteers were enrolled to undergo L-FMC and FMD measurements.Results:In protocol 1, exercise was associated with mean (SD) increases in radial artery blood flow, diameter and L-FMC (from −5.1 (1.5)% to −7.8 (3.4)%, p