Arterial Stiffness and Impaired Renal Function in Patients With and Without Diabetes Mellitus

Background and aims: Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) was developed as an index of arterial stiffness independently of blood pressure and other markers of early atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to assess the correlations between CAVI and renal disease in type 2 diabetic patients compared with those without diabetes. Material and methods: We evaluated anthropometric, biochemical and vascular parameters (through CAVI) in 133 patients with and 80 without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mean aged 59.34 ± 11.94 years. Results: We found that 52.04 % of subjects with T2DM and 22.22 % of patients without T2DM had pathological arterial stiffness. Mean CAVI value was significantly higher in T2DM (p = 0.04), positively correlated with age and negatively with glomerular filtration rate. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in patients with pathological vascular stiffness was 5.28 times higher in T2DM compared with the control group. Conclusion: The prevalence of pathological vascular stiffness, mean CAVI and prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) were also higher in patients with T2DM than in the control group. Arterial stiffness plays an important role in renal impairment both in normoglycemic subjects and patients with T2DM, so preventive measures to optimize lifestyle and treatment must target the decrease of CAVI