Redundant vasodilator pathways underlying radial artery flow-mediated dilation are preserved in healthy aging.

Background. Blocking nitric oxide (NO) and vasodilator prostanoids (PN) does not consistently reduce flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in young adults. The impact of aging on the contribution of NO and PG to FMD is unknown. Methods. FMD was measured in older adults (,  y) after arterial infusion of saline, N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), and ketorolac