Background: 

The assessment of endothelial function is crucial in understanding the progression of cardiovascular disease. It is important to have reliable and convenient non-invasive methods for evaluating endothelial function. Peripheral arterial volume (PAV) measurement at the fingertip is a novel approach, but there is limited data on its reproducibility. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the reproducibility of PAV measurement in a clinical setting. 

 Method: 

A total of 152 consecutive patients (average age 55.8±12.3, 83 males) with chest pain were included in the study. PAV tests were conducted on separate days. The amplitude ratio before and after applying pressure, along with the reference ratio, were recorded to calculate PAV. Medical baseline data for these patients were gathered from the hospital's records. 

Result: 

On test days, the PAV results were 1.15±0.33 and 1.15±0.31 (p=0.99), indicating no significant difference between the two measurements in all subjects. The mean difference was 0.00±0.32, showing no systematic errors, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.66. Furthermore, age, sex, and BMI did not influence the reproducibility of PAV.

Conclusion: 

PAV measurement is not only feasible but also exhibits excellent reproducibility among all the enrolled patients. As a novel fingertip measurement, PAV holds promise for providing a convenient and accurate assessment of endothelial function in adults.