Pulse wave velocity in lower-limb arteries among diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at an increased risk of atherosclerosis including peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The purpose of this study was to examine the possible alteration in pulse wave velocity (PWV) in lower-limb arteries among diabetic patients with PAD.


METHODS
We measured brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) using an automatic device in 101 healthy control subjects and 102 type 2 diabetic patients including those with PAD.


RESULTS
Diabetic patients without PAD showed a higher baPWV than the healthy control subjects. There was no significant difference in baPWV between the right and left legs in these groups. In contrast, among diabetic patients with PAD, baPWV was significantly lower in the affected legs than in the non-affected legs, and the reduction in baPWV was greater in those with lower ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI). In the patients with PAD who received percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, both baPWV and ABI were increased following successful vessel dilatation.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that baPWV is increased in diabetic patients, whereas it is decreased in the affected legs in diabetic patients with PAD. Widening of the right-left difference in baPWV may be a novel marker of PAD.
Yokoyama
Hisayo
H
Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Shoji
Tetsuo
T
Kimoto
Eiji
E
Shinohara
Kayo
K
Tanaka
Shinji
S
Koyama
Hidenori
H
Emoto
Masanori
M
Nishizawa
Yoshiki
Y
D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis