Endothelial function: strategies for early intervention.

Assessment of endothelial function appears to be a valuable additional tool for diagnosing and therapeutic monitoring of coronary artery disease. The first part of this review discusses the biosynthesis, degradation, and antiatherosclerotic properties of nitric oxide, a major determinant of endothelial function. In the second part methods for assessing endothelial function and strategies for reversal of endothelial dysfunction are reviewed. Improvement of endothelial function may be obtained by lifestyle modifications, such as cessation of smoking, better blood glucose regulation, exercise, dietary measures, and pharmacological interventions, such as lipid lowering, antioxidant therapy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, and calcium channel blockers.