Manning Sabatier | PubMed Health

PubMed2006

Upper vs lower extremity arterial function after spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine whether arterial diameter, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and arterial range are affected by spinal cord injury (SCI). We assessed arm (radial) and leg (posterior-tibial) arteries that are comparable in size and function to determine whether (a) arterial function is reduced in individuals with SCI vs nondisabled subjects and (b) decrements to SCI arterial function are greater in the legs vs arms. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen men with chronic (9.8 +/- 6.3 years) SCI (T2 to T11; American Spinal Injury Association A) and 13 nondisabled subjects matched for age (33.1 +/- 4.8 vs 29.8 +/- 8.2 years old, respectively), height, and weight (BMI = 25.3 +/- 5.8 vs 26.6 +/- 5.5 kg/m2, respectively). METHODS: Radial and posterior tibial artery B-mode ultrasound images were continuously captured to measure resting diameter, occluded diameter, and postischemic diameters. Hierarchical linear modeling accounted for the nested experimental design. RESULTS: Individuals with SCI have lower systemic (arm + leg) FMD than nondisabled subjects (9.3% vs 12.3%, respectively; P= 0.035), primarily because of reduced leg FMD (11.5 +/- 3.1% vs 7.0 +/- 2.8% for SCI arms vs legs, respectively; P = 0.010). Persons with SCI also had lower arterial range than nondisabled subjects (0.79 vs 1.00 mm, respectively; P = 0.043), primarily because of the legs (0.81 +/- 0.09 vs 0.56 +/- 0.11 mm for SCI arms vs legs, respectively; P = 0.030). CONCLUSION: Leg arterial function seems to deteriorate at greater rates compared to the arms for individuals with SCI. Interventions to improve cardiovascular health should include measurements taken in the legs.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Relationship between blood velocity and conduit artery diameter and the effects of smoking on vascular responsiveness.

Transient changes in arterial diameter in response to transient ischemia-induced changes in arterial blood velocity have been used as an index of vascular health. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between blood velocity and diameter in the brachial artery by different methods of increasing blood velocity. Acute cigarette smoking was used with otherwise healthy young occasional smokers to determine the influence of endothelial-nitric oxide pathways on the arterial diameter-blood velocity relationship. Nine nonsmokers and 12 occasional smokers (<1 pack/wk) were tested. Blood flow to the forearm was manipulated to indirectly investigate the relationship between blood velocity and diameter in the brachial artery. Blood flow to forearm was manipulated through the use of 1) 5-min ischemia; 2) handgrip exercise; 3) indirect local heating; and 4) 5-min ischemia plus indirect local heating. A strong relationship was observed between blood velocity and diameter independent of the method used to increase blood velocity (R(2) = 0.89). The mean slope of the velocity-diameter relationship was not different between nonsmokers and occasional smokers who abstained from smoking at least 2 days. Acute smoking did not alter the slope of the velocity-diameter relationship although the mean intercept was decreased as a result of consistent vasoconstriction (7-10%). The mechanisms by which smoking impairs vascular health are largely unknown. These findings differ from previous smoking studies that used chronic and/or heavier smokers. The velocity-diameter relationship appears independent of the method for increasing velocity. Acute smoking in occasional smokers results in vasoconstriction without altering vascular responsiveness. The velocity-diameter relationship may be a useful measure of the progression of vascular disease.

Adult↗