Correlation between the intima-media thickness of the carotid artery and aortic pulse-wave velocity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Vessel wall properties in type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between atherotic (structural) and sclerotic (functional) changes in patients with type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
Aortic distensibility and carotid intimal-media thickness (IMT) were evaluated using carotid-femoral aortic pulse-wave velocity (a-PWV) and high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography in 271 patients with type 2 diabetes and 285 age-matched control subjects.


RESULTS
a-PWV and carotid IMT were significantly higher in the patients than in the control subjects in all age-groups (P < 0.0001, respectively). The carotid IMT and a-PWV were significantly correlated with age in both the patients with type 2 diabetes and control subjects. There was a significant positive relationship between the carotid IMT and a-PWV in both the patients (r = 0.482, P < 0.0001) and control subjects (r = 0.424, P < 0.0001). The slope of the regression line for the carotid IMT to the a-PWV was significantly steeper in the diabetic patients than in the control subjects (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis in all subjects showed that age, diabetic state, and cigarette smoking were independently common risk factors for the increase in carotid IMT and a-PWV. In the diabetic patients, the independent risk factors associated with the carotid IMT were age, hyperlipidemia, and duration of diabetes (R2 = 0.232, P < 0.0001), while those associated with a-PWV were age and duration of diabetes (R2 = 0.334, P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that diabetic patients showed more advanced changes in atherosis than that in sclerosis as compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects. Such atherotic changes in diabetic patients may be associated with hyperlipidemia.
Taniwaki
H
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
Kawagishi
T
T
Emoto
M
M
Shoji
T
T
Kanda
H
H
Maekawa
K
K
Nishizawa
Y
Y
Morii
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography