title: The effect of an Angiotensin receptor blocker on arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This study analyzed the changes in central aortic waveforms and pulse wave velocity as well as related parameters after treatment with valsartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used pulse wave analysis to measure central aortic waveform in a total of 98 subjects. In 47 of these patients, pulse wave velocity measurements were obtained before and after 12 weeks of treatment with valsartan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the central aortic waveform analysis, the aortic pulse pressure and augmentation index were significantly decreased after valsartan treatment, as was the aortic pulse wave velocity. Factors contributing to the improvement in pulse wave velocity were the fasting blood glucose and haemoglobin A1c levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term treatment with valsartan improves arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and the glucose status at baseline was associated with this effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jung Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Gyoung
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jae Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Kyung Ah
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Kyung Wan
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Hyun Shik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Sang Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chang