RI and endothelial function assessment

The Bio Clip system can also be used to assess endothelial function by measuring changes in RI in response to an endothelium dependent stimulus from vaso-active drugs.

The endothelium is a thin layer of cells that line the interior surfaces of blood vessels. It forms an interface between circulating blood and the rest of the blood vessel walls. The entire circulatory system is lined with endothelial cells, from the heart right down to the smallest capillary. The endothelium is implicated in many aspects of vascular biology, including vasoconstriction and vasodilation (and therefore the control of blood pressure), blood clotting and atherosclerosis. 

To assess endothelial function, obtain a base line result from Bio Clip. The patient should then be administered with an endothelium dependent vasodilator and reassessed by the Bio Clip system. Salbutamol (albuterol) is a particularly useful vasodilator to use in this context because it can be administered by inhalation. Little change between pre- and post- administration results would indicate endothelial dysfunction. It’s important to detect endothelial dysfunction because it’s a hallmark for vascular diseases, often leading to artherosclerosis.