TY - JOUR T1 - Endothelial function: 20 years of clinical investigation JF - Heart JO - Heart SP - 1271 LP - 1271 DO - 10.1136/hrt.2005.061309 VL - 91 IS - 10 AU - P Vallance Y1 - 2005/10/01 UR - http://heart.bmj.com/content/91/10/1271.1.abstract N2 - In 1980 Furchgott and Zawadzki described the phenomenon of endothelium dependent relaxation1 and identified a novel labile relaxant factor later identified as nitric oxide. A few years earlier John Vane and colleagues2 had identified prostacyclin as a potent antiplatelet agent released from endothelial cells. Together these findings stimulated a huge increase in clinical research in vascular mechanisms and endothelial function. Twenty years on it is time to take … ER -