Association between pulse wave velocity and nerve conduction study in diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a marker of vascular stiffness and is reported to be associated with diabetic neuropathy; however, the relationship between baPWV and nerve conduction study (NCS) has yet to be examined.


METHODS
Between January 2006 and December 2008, we investigated this relationship in diabetic patients. To this end, we reviewed the medical records of 100 diabetic patients for whom both baPWV and NCS had been examined.


RESULTS
The mean age of patients was 55.4 ± 10.6 years, and the mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 6.3 ± 7.3 years. A statistically significant inverse correlation between baPWV and NCS was observed, especially in the lower extremity sensory NCS [superficial peroneal sensory nerve action potential (SNAP), r = -0.466, p <0.05; sural SNAP, r = -0.384, p <0.01]. A multiple linear regression analysis also demonstrated a significant association between baPWV and some parameters of NCS (SNAP of sural nerve, and nerve conduction velocity of peroneal and sural nerves).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that the degree of systemic arterial stiffness is associated with peripheral nerve status in diabetic patients, but it is unclear what this signifies and further study is needed.
Suh
Bum Chun
BC
Department of Neurology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Chung
Pil-Wook
PW
Moon
Heui-Soo
HS
Kim
Yong Bum
YB
Yoon
Won Tae
WT
Shim
Dong Suk
DS
Kim
Sang Bum
SB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology; D001703:Biophysics; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000503:physiopathology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology