Is endothelial function of the radial artery altered in human essential hypertension?
There is controversy over whether endothelial function is impaired in human essential hypertension. All studies to date have used measurements of forearm blood flow by plethysmography to assess endothelium-dependent vasodilation and endothelial function. In contrast to these studies, which have focused on resistance vessels, we have determined what effects the endothelium has on underlying smooth muscle cells in conduit arteries by measuring arterial compliance of the radial arteries (change in diameter of radial artery over pressure for each arterial pulse). In 13 normotensive healthy subjects and 11 young patients with essential hypertension, arterial compliance of the radial artery was assessed directly with a new high-precision ultrasonic device (NIUS 02) after infusion of acetylcholine (endothelium-dependent response) or sodium nitroprusside (endothelium-independent response). Arterial compliance of the radial artery was similar at baseline and with increasing doses of acetylcholi
