Prognostic significance of brachial flow-mediated vasodilation.

There is currently much research devoted to the study of vascular biology in intact humans. These efforts aim to translate findings from the basic science arena to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and its complications. Markers of vascular risk have been used as surrogate end points in treatment studies. More recently, long-term studies have emerged that speak to the prognostic significance of these novel markers with a goal of refining risk stratification approaches. C-reactive protein is an excellent example of such a marker, with many others being evaluated.1