Disfunción endotelial

The development of new approaches to the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations is a priority because of the impact these diseases have on morbidity, mortality and public health. Recently, it has been demonstrated that assessment of endothelial dysfunction can be useful in the evaluation of vascular disease. Both classical and newly identified risk factors have been shown to be associated with endothelial dysfunction. Indeed, loss of the endothelium's homeostatic regulatory function has been linked to the clinical manifestation of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, recent reports indicate that there is a correlation between the severity of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular risk. Finally, both dietary and pharmacological interventions aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk have been shown to improve endothelial function. Consequently, the endothelium and its function have now become important in clinical practice and the control of endothelial function is emerging as a key element of therapies designed to prevent the development of atherosclerosis and its clinical complications.