Intermittent claudication and endothelial dysfunction

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Abstract
The endothelium regulates homeostasis in healthy blood vessels. When affected by injurious stimuli it becomes dysfunctional, thus eliciting changes that predispose to atherosclerosis. Patients with intermittent claudication show a systemic endothelial dysfunction that may result from a variety of factors. In particular, inflammation could play a key role because, in claudicants, endothelial dysfunction negatively correlates with plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, an acute-phase reactant. Future studies will clarify whether interventions that improve endothelial function will improve the clinical outcome of patients with peripheral arterial disease by reducing their cardiovascular risk.

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