Background:

Endothelial dysfunction is vascular phenomenon that plays an important role in atherosclerosis development. With the purpose of improving the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic diseases, the searching for accurate, practical and cheaper methods for evaluating endothelial function have become of interest.

Objectives:

Verify the potential of Peripheral Perfusion Index from pulse oximetry (IPP) as a method of endothelial dysfunction evaluation in patients with atherosclerotic diseases.

Methods:

There were recruited 18 control patients and 24 patients with atherosclerotic diseases under optimized treatment, in basic health units. The values of IPP were evaluated before and after an endothelial-dependent stimulus, the reactive hyperemia. The values of IPP were also evaluated in period which the major contribution of Nitric Oxide (NO) for the vasodilation occurs (IPP_90-120). The results of IPP were discussed using the literature and estimating their diagnostic and prognostic potential

Results:

The endothelium-dependent vasodilatory response measured by IPP was significantly lower in patients with atherosclerosis compared to control group, since 45 seconds after reactive hyperemia. Also, the values of IPP_90-120 were significantly lower in patients with atherosclerosis [35% (4 – 53%) vs 73% (55 – 169%); p<0,001]. Similarly, the IPP values were lower in atherosclerosis group when it was separated by gender.

Conclusion:

The results of this study, in association with the low cost of pulse oximeter, suggest a good potential for IPP as an endothelial dysfunction evaluation method. New studies must be done in order to clarify this potential and possibly contribute with the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic diseases.