OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of pulse wave velocity on he predication and diagnosis for peripheral artery diseases among diabetic patients.

METHODSAnkle-brachial index (ABI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were detected simultaneously in 1500 type 2 diabetic patients which over 50 years old with one or more risk factors.

RESULTSbaPWV speeded up in enrolled diabetic patients when ABI showed normal; and more faster in female patients compared with males (male vs. female: right, 1647.0 +/- 347.7 vs. 1714.1 +/- 338.0; left, 1638.1 +/- 368.0 vs. 1708.4 +/- 355.5, P < 0.01). Compared with diabetic patients with PAD vs non-PAD, ABI was less than 0.9, baPWV slowed falling down [right, ABI: 0.82 +/- 0.15, baPWV: (1652.6 +/- 428.7) cm/s vs. (1699.1 +/- 316.3) cm/s; left, ABI: 0.80 +/- 0.16, baPWV: (1655.3 +/- 477.2) cm/s vs. (1677.5 +/- 338.6) cm/s, P < 0.01] ABI and baPWV showed a consistently positive relationship with aging (OR = 0.17, 0.33, P < 0.01), diabetes (OR = 0.07, 0.17, P < 0.01), hypertension (OR = 0.18, 0.39, P < 0.01), and rate of ischemic heart disease (OR = 0.25, 0.10, P < 0.01). Aging was an important risk factor for PAD. For diabetic patients with PAD, baPWV was stepped down with aging (per-decade up: 1681.6 +/- 545.9, 1678.2 +/- 494.9, 1598.5 +/- 417.1, 1493.9 +/- 444.8, P < 0.01). For those without PAD, baPWV was expedited with aging (every 10-age-up: 1570.0 +/- 337.8, 1707.7 +/- 356.4, 1829.0 +/- 378.0, 1955.6 +/- 430.5, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSIn type 2 diabetic patients, baPWV shows abnormal even when ABI was normal. When these patients combine with PAD, baPWV slows down, and the phenomena is related with the severity of PAD. These data implicate baPWV could act as a screen and diagnosis factor for PAD as ABI did, and might be a more sensitive alarming predicator for artery lesions.