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Intermittent claudication and endothelial dysfunction

A. Silvestro*, G. Oliva and G. Brevetti

Department of Clinical Medicine and Cardiovascular and Immunological Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Naples, Italy

* Correspondence: Antonio Silvestro, MD, Via Napoli 187, 80022 Arzano (Na), Italy.

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.

Key Words: C-reactive protein • endothelial dysfunction • inflammation • intermittent claudication • peripheral arterial disease

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