Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. In certain embodiments the methods involve using a cuff to apply pressure to an artery in a subject to determine a plurality of baseline values for a parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); b) applying a stimulus to the subject; and applying external pressure P.sub.m to the artery to determine a plurality of stimulus-effected values for the parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); where the baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline values and said stimulus-effected values provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.

A cardiovascular health assessment score, representing a working tissue flow and indicating the dependence on central and peripheral control mechanisms, is generated by an evaluation system and used to support a variety of individualized medicine and health applications. One or more of the individualized medicine and health applications may be implemented as part of the evaluation system and incorporate the cardiovascular health assessment.

Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. In certain embodiments the methods involve using a cuff to apply pressure to an artery in a subject to determine a plurality of baseline values for a parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); b) applying a stimulus to the subject; and applying external pressure P.sub.m to the artery to determine a plurality of stimulus-effected values for the parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); where the baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline values and said stimulus-effected values provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.

A new indication of vitamin K is disclosed which results in the provision of methods of treatment, both therapeutic and non-therapeutic, as well as functional foods and pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products comprising vitamin K for improving microvascular integrity and capillary structure and function, thus preventing, mitigating, counteracting or curing diseases associated with impaired capillary morphology including the glycocalyx or capillary dysfunction. Preferably, vitamin K is a menaquinone, most preferably selected from the long-chain menaquinones MK-7 through MK-10.

Apparatus (1) for rupturing muscle fibres in a lower oesophageal sphincter (2) comprises a balloon catheter (4) having a catheter (5) and a balloon (8) located at the distal end (7) of the catheter (5). A multi-electrode impedance planimetry measuring system (10) comprising a pair of stimulating electrodes (11) and sensing electrodes (12) is located on the catheter 5 within the balloon (8) for monitoring the diameter of the balloon (8) when the balloon (8) is inflated by a pump (25) with a liquid saline solution from a reservoir (26) through a flowmeter (33) under the control of a microprocessor (20). With the balloon (8) located in the sphincter (2) as the balloon (8) is being inflated, the microprocessor (8) computes the minimum diameter value of the balloon (8) from signals read from the sensing electrodes (12) each time the cumulative volume of the liquid saline solution in the balloon (8) increases by a predefined unit volume. The microprocessor computes a curve (40) of a plot of the minimum diameter values against the corresponding cumulative volume values of the liquid saline solution in the balloon (8) and determines the slope of the curve at each computed minimum diameter value. Rupture of the muscle fibres of the sphincter (2) is determined at the point of inflection (42) of the curve (40).

Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. In certain embodiments the methods involve using a cuff to apply pressure to an artery in a subject to determine a plurality of baseline values for a parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); b) applying a stimulus to the subject; and applying external pressure P.sub.m to the artery to determine a plurality of stimulus-effected values for the parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); where the baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline values and said stimulus-effected values provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.

Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. In certain embodiments the methods involve using a cuff to apply pressure to an artery in a subject to determine a plurality of baseline values for a parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); b) applying a stimulus to the subject; and applying external pressure P.sub.m to the artery to determine a plurality of stimulus-effected values for the parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); where the baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline values and said stimulus-effected values provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.

Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. In certain embodiments the methods involve using a cuff to apply pressure to an artery in a subject to determine a plurality of baseline values for a parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); b) applying a stimulus to the subject; and applying external pressure P.sub.m to the artery to determine a plurality of stimulus-effected values for the parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (P.sub.m); where the baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline values and said stimulus-effected values provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.

A method of measuring a speed of blood flow from a radio frequency (RF) signal, including decomposing a complex signal converted from the RF signal into base signals using singular value decomposition, classifying the base signals into a clutter signal, a blood flow signal, and a noise signal, separating a clutter region and a blood flow region from the classified clutter signal and blood flow signal, obtaining an output signal by removing the blood flow signal from the clutter signal in the clutter region and by removing the clutter signal from the blood flow signal in the blood flow region, and measuring a speed of the blood flow by calculating speckle decorrelation from the output signal.