P298	Prognostic value of brachial artery endothelial function and wall thickness.
A.Suessenbacher, M.Frick, H.F.Alber, W.Dichtl, O.Pachinger, F.Weidinger
Division of Cardiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, AT.

Background: Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the brachial artery (BA) have been associated with coronary risk factors and the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Recent studies on the prognostic value of FMD have been conflicting. The aim of the present study was to examine the prognostic value of brachial artery FMD and IMT in patients admitted for invasive evaluation of chest pain Methods: In 398 consecutive patients (age 54±9 years) undergoing coronary angiography, FMD and IMT of the BA were measured using high-resolution ultrasound (13 MHz). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the FMD median (7.6%). After a mean follow-up of 39±12 months, cardiovascular events were documented. Results: No difference was found in the number of cardiovascular events between groups. On multivariate Cox regression analysis including age, number of risk factors, BA-diameter, presence of CAD, FMD and IMT, only presence of CAD and IMT remained significantly associated with cardiovascular events. Conclusion: IMT predicted late (up to 4 years) cardiovascular events in a large population admitted for evaluation of chest pain. In contrast, the long-term prognostic value of a single baseline measure of BA-FMD seems to be limited.

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