Assessing endothelial function using a blood pressure cuff

A method of assessing endothelial function in a mammal, said method comprising:

• a) applying to an artery an external pressure that causes tension in a wall of said artery to decrease, where said pressure is provided via a cuff adjacent to and/or around a region of the mammal's body, and said external pressure is below the average diastolic pressure for said mammal, and provides a measurement pressure set point;
• b) determining, over a course of one or more cardiac cycles, changes in pressure in said cuff resulting from cardiac activity of said mammal, or an artificially induced arterial pulse to determine a baseline value for a parameter related to endothelial function in said mammal;
• c) applying a stimulus to said mammal;
• and
• d) determining, over a course of one or more cardiac cycles, changes in pressure in said cuff resulting from cardiac activity of said mammal, or an artificially induced arterial pulse, to determine a stimulus-affected value for a parameter related to endothelial function in said mammal;
• wherein said determining of steps (b) and (d) comprises:
• i) during a first time interval (T1) maintaining the pressure in said cuff within a first pressure range (ΔP1) around said measurement pressure set point, where said pressure set point is below the average diastolic pressure for said mammal, during a period where tissue compression under the cuff leads to a drop in the mean pressure in said cuff;
• and
• ii) once the mean pressure in said cuff stabilizes, during a second time interval (T2) maintaining the pressure in said cuff within a second pressure range (ΔP2) around said measurement pressure set point, where (ΔP2) is greater than (ΔP1), and determining over a course of one or more cardiac cycles said changes in pressure in said cuff;
• and
• wherein said baseline value is determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially affected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline value and said stimulus-affected value provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.