Objectives: Arteries have been examined extensively in coronary artery disease (CAD), while less attention has been paid to veins.
Aims: (1) To determine whether venous compliance or venous outflow in the upper arm is reduced in CAD patients compared to healthy age- and fitness-matched controls; and (2) to examine the association between upper arm venous compliance and total blood volume.
Design: Fifteen patients with stable CAD (age 62·1 ± 5·7 years, body mass index 26·5 ± 3·2 kg·m2 , fat-free mass 59·3 ± 7·6 kg, mean arterial pressure 98·9 ± 8·0 mmHg, VO2peak : 2·92 ± 0·53 l min-1 ) were compared to twelve healthy age- and fitness-matched controls (age 62·2 ± 3·7 years, body mass index 26·2 ± 2·3 kg m2 , fat-free mass 61·0 ± 9·2 kg, mean arterial pressure 96·5 ± 9·1 mmHg, VO2peak : 3·24 ± 0·48 l min-1 ). Venous compliance was examined using high-resolution ultrasound and Doppler in the basilic vein. Blood volumes were measured by the optimized CO rebreathing method.
Results: Equal upper arm venous compliance normalized to blood volume (patients: 0·28 ± 0·26 mm3 mmHg-1 l-1 , healthy controls: 0·16 ± 0·11 mm3 mmHg-1 l-1 ) and peak venous outflow normalized to blood volume (patients: 10·4 ± 3·9 cm s-1 l-1 , healthy controls: 8·3 ± 0·8 cm s-1 l-1 ) were found in patients with CAD and healthy age- and fitness-matched controls. Additionally, no difference was found in blood volume (patients: 6·06 ± 0·79 l, healthy controls: 6·68 ± 1·27 l) or VO2peak .
Conclusion: Comparable upper arm venous compliance and venous outflow in CAD patients and healthy age- and fitness-matched controls might indicate that high VO2peak and blood volume could prevent possible disease-induced reductions in venous compliance in CAD.
Keywords: VO 2peak; blood volume; cardiovascular disease; venous function.
© 2015 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.