DOES FLOW-MEDIATED DILATION NORMALIZATION FOR BASE-SCALED SHEAR RATE IMPROVE ITS VALUE IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE DIAGNOSTICS?

The article presents a new normalization of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in the radial artery, taking into account the parameter BSSR being equal to the ratio of the basal shear rate (BS) measured before the cuff inflation and post occlusive shear rate (SR). The in vivo usefulness of the new normalization algorithm was evaluated in two groups of patients. In group I, comprising 15 healthy volunteers, the normalized FMD/SR was (3.19 ± 1.4)•10-4, while in group II, comprising 13 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), it was (1.02 ± 0.76)•10-4. We calculated almost 50% larger difference between the average values after normalizing FMD/BSSR. Specifically, the FMD/BSSR was equal to 28 ± 9.40 in group I and 6.01 ± 3.74 in group II. The prediction of CAD patients based on FMD/SR values had a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 84.6%, whereas the prediction of CAD patients based on the FMD/BSSR values revealed 100% sensitivity and specificity. These results confirm the usefulness of the novel normalization algorithm of the FMD in differentiation of normal patients from those with stable CAD.