Determination of the FMD of the brachial artery is a simple,
noninvasive, reproducible and cost-effective tool representing
an important branch of endothelium research. Indeed, FMD has
emerged as an independent prognostic factor in a variety of
clinical conditions including patients with different degrees of
cardiovascular risk and vascular disease.
15,16
Pulsatileflow is not a new technique in CPB, and despite
controversial results in the past 4 decades and some evidence
on its favorable effects on different outcome variables, it has
failed to demonstrate a clear impact on mortality.
This may be due, at least in part, to the different modalities applied to
obtain a pulsatile flow or, alternatively,