Impact of risk factors on serum levels of vasoactive substances in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease at different Fontaine’s stages

Introduction: There is a bulk of literature data on the physiological roles of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin- 1 (ET-1), but many facts remain unknown, especially in certain diseases such as peripheral arterial disease. Material and methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study. The subjects were patients diagnosed with PAD. Serum levels of NO and ET-1 were determined for all patients, and statistical data processing was performed according to the set goals. Results: The study included 64 patients with mean age 60.2 ± 12.7 years, mostly in stage II PAD according to Fontain (46.9%). Statistical analysis failed to determine a significant difference in serum NO or ET-1 values with respect to disease stage, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Certain oscillations were found in the mean values of NO related to smoking and diabetes but without statistical significance. There were also oscillations in the values of ET-1, with higher levels found in women, smokers and non-diabetics in whom this difference reached statistical significance (p = 0.041). Conclusion: Serum levels of NO and ET-1 in this study show some causal relationship with certain risk factors for PAD such as diabetes and smoking, but additional research is needed to fully understand their effects and interactions.