The relationship of type 2 diabetes and complications to pulse wave velocity

Kim, Young Kwon; Chung, Hyun Kyung; Kim, Hee Jin

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) reflects arterial stiffness and may represents an integrated index of vascular function. PWV may be useful to assess arterial dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients.
METHODS
Using an automatic wave form analyzer, we measured heart-femoral (hf), femoral-ankle (fa) and brachial-ankle PWVs in 348 subjects aged 40~79 (174 healthy subjects and 174 type 2 diabetic patients). We analyzed the relations of diabetes and its complications (retinopathy, albuminuria, peripheral neuropathy) to PWVs.
RESULTS
In both healthy subjects and diabetic patients without complications, hfPWV and baPWV, but not faPWV, showed strong positive correlations with age and systolic blood pressure. In diabetic patients of the age group of 50s, but not the age group of 40s, hfPWV, faPWV and baPWV as percentage relative to the corresponding mean values of healthy subjects of the same age group differed significantly between patients with and without complications (p<0.05 for all). The difference in the magnitude of the percent increase was greater in hfPWV and baPWV compared with faPWV. Increased hfPWV and baPWV (p<0.05 for both), but not faPWV (p=NS), were associated with the presence of complications. Increased hfPWV was significantly associated with retinopathy and albuminuria (p<0.05 for both), while increased baPWV was significantly associated with retinopathy, albuminuria and peripheral neuropathy (p<0.05 for all).
CONCLUSION
The impact of diabetes and complications on PWV is different among the arterial regions. When evaluating arterial dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients, baPWV could be useful, which is comparable to aortic PWV.