Impact of Traditional CVD Risk Factors on Arterial Integrity Using Novel Biophysical Parameters of The Flow-Mediated Dilation Test

Background: Traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and triglycerides, contribute to vascular endothelial dysfunction before the presence of overt CVD. However, their correlation with the structural integrity of arteries has not been explored. Our group developed a novel analysis method for the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) test to provide biophysical insights into arterial integrity. In this study, we apply this novel method to female participants with and without Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) to examine how CVD risk factors influence the structural function of the arterial system. Method: A total of 37 Women with T1D (HbA1c = 8.4 ± 1.6%) and 34 apparently healthy women (HbA1c = 5.2 ± 0.2%) were enrolled. All participants attended the study visit during the menses phase, provided written informed consent, and underwent body composition assessment, blood sample collection and analysis (including circulating concentrations of estradiol, insulin, glucose, CRP, HbA1c, and a lipid panel), and a brachial artery FMD test conducted per published guidelines. The ultrasound screen was continuously recorded during baseline and reactive hyperemia to generate time-based diameter profiles, which were then processed to derive conventional FMD% and 5 biophysical parameters: Mechanotransduction Strength (γ), Artery’s Stiffness Ratio (E min *), Softening Sensitivity (B), Characteristic response time (T (s), characterizing the artery’s response time to vasodilators), and Recovery Propensity (ζ*). Results: Group comparisons revealed differences in not only FMD% (p = 0.044) but also biophysical parameters, most notably mechanotransduction strength γ (p = 0.088), indicating impaired mechanical signaling through the vessel wall in T1D. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that variability in traditional CVD risk factors was associated with novel biophysical parameters from the FMD test, but not strongly with FMD%. Across all subjects, glucose was positively associated with recovery propensity (ζ*, Coeff = 0.58, p< 0.001) and characteristic response time (T, Coeff = 1.61, p< 0.001). Percent Fat was positively associated with the arterial stiffness ratio (E min *, Coeff = 0.047, p =0.038). HDL cholesterol was inversely related to T (Coeff = -0.87, p=0.01). In the T1D group, CRP was negatively associated with the softening sensitivity (B, Coeff = -2.3, p=0.023), and glucose was negatively related to FMD% (Coeff = -0.019, p=0.005). At the model level, traditional CVD risk factors significantly predicted E min * (R 2 = 0.35, p=0.034), T (R 2 = 0.47, p< 0.001), and ζ*(R 2 = 0.35, p=0.029), with even higher explanatory power in the T1D subgroup for T (R 2 = 0.64, p=0.029), and ζ*(R 2 = 0.61, p=0.043). No significant models (p< 0.1) were observed for FMD%. Conclusion: Findings from the present investigation have identified that CVD risk factors influence distinct aspects of arterial integrity as measured by biophysical parameters derived from the FMD test. Further studies are warranted to deepen the understanding of these parameters and to explore their value in assessing arterial health. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.