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Endocrine Abstracts (2022) 81 EP462 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.81.EP462

1Hospital Charles Nicolle, Endocrinology, Tunis, Tunisia; 2Hospital Charles Nicolle, Cardiology, Tunis, Tunisia


Introduction: Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is the most common complication of diabetes affecting up to 50% of patients with type 2 diabetes. Carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is an independent cardiovascular marker of morbidity and mortality and is considered the gold standard in the assessment of arterial stiffness. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between diabetic neuropathy and arterial stiffness.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study including 249 diabetic patients without macroangipathic complications, between July 2020 and May 2021. Using a SphygmoCor®XCEL device, we measured arterial stiffness directly by the carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV).

Results: The mean age of the study population was 57.53 ± 9.34 years (139 women and 110 men). The mean duration of the disease was 10.2 years. Diabetic neuropathy (DN) was found in 27.7% of the patients. CfPWV > 10 m/s was found in 94.2% of the patients with DN. In this group, cfPWV was at 14.56 ± 2.99 m/s VS 13.29 ± 2.68 m/s in patients without DN (P = 0.001).

Conclusion: This study shows that arterial stiffness is higher in type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic neuropathy than in those without diabetic neuropathy. Indeed, increased aortic stiffness can directly damage microcirculation, including vasa nervorum, by increasing the transmission of larger and harmful pulsatile pressure waves due to loss of normal aortic buffer function. More importantly, diabetic neuropathy has been shown to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Thus, diabetic neuropathy and macroangiopathy might have common pathogenic mechanisms.

Volume 81

European Congress of Endocrinology 2022

Milan, Italy
21 May 2022 - 24 May 2022

European Society of Endocrinology 

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