title: Ultrasonography of lower limb vascular angiopathy and plaque formation in type 2 diabetes patients and finding its relevance to the carotid atherosclerotic formation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One of the major complications of diabetes is blood vessel disease, termed angiopathy, which is characterized by abnormal angiogenesis. The objective of this study was to discuss the characteristics of lower limb vascular angiopathy and plaque formation in type 2 diabetes patients and finding its relevance to the carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation, thus directing the clinical diagnosis and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ultrasonography was used to monitor the patients with carotid artery and lower limb artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, decreased blood flow to lower limb and lower limb angiopathy occurred more obviously in dorsal artery of foot than in popliteal artery. The study revealed that the detection rate of the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis plaque and lower limb arterial plaque and the combination of plaque both carotid and lower limb arteries in diabetic patients was 369:342:296 (about 1.25:1.15:1) and that the prevalence of carotid plaque and lower limb arterial plaque in all subjects with plaque was 71.3%. The risk of plaque formation also had positive correlation with patient's age. Color Doppler ultrasound had a clinical significance in the early diagnosis and curative effect observation in type 2 diabetes with lower limb angiopathy. The risk of simultaneous plaque formation in both carotid artery and lower extremity artery was greater in type 2 diabetes than that of control subjects, but they were not necessarily to occur simultaneously. The symptoms were inconspicuous in the early course of diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of ultrasound monitoring in patients with carotid artery and lower limb artery might play a role in early warning, delaying the occurrence of macrovascular diseases, and slowing down the development of macroangiopathy such as cerebral infarction and diabetic foot and so on, thus providing a significant basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Jun Duan, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Chenglong Zheng, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Bei San Huan Dong Lu, ChaoYang District, Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chenglong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Kuo Gao, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Meina Hao, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Bei San Huan Dong Lu, ChaoYang District, Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Meina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Lin Yang, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Dandan Guo, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Jingping Wu, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jingping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Yan Tian, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Xueni Song, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xueni
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Jian Liu, Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Shuwen Guo, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Bei San Huan Dong Lu, ChaoYang District, Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shuwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Ghulam Murtaza, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murtaza
authors.affiliation: Min Zheng, 1,4-10,13: Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
keywords: Color Doppler; Diabetic vascular disease; Lower extremity artery; Ultrasonography