VIBRATORY THRESHOLDS CORRELATION WITH SYSTOLIC BLOOD-PRESSURE IN DIABETIC WOMEN

Previous studies have suggested a potential association of elevated bl ood pressure (BP) and the development of diabetic neuropathy for indiv iduals with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In this study, we exa mined an association between BP and vibratory thresholds (assessment m odality of large sensory nerve fiber function) for 33 participants wit h non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. There were 19 women and 14 men aged 58 +/- 7 (mean +/- SD) years, with diabetes duration of 7 +/- 6 years and a body mass index of 29 +/- 5 kg/m(2). None of the indivi duals were taking any medications that lower BP and all were negative for the presence of microalbuminuria. Vibratory thresholds were determ ined at three visits using a two-alternative, forced-choice procedure. BP was assessed by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring. As expected, vibrat ory thresholds were higher for men than for women (6.3 +/- 4 v 4.2 +/- 3 vibration units) but there was no statistical difference after cont rolling for height. In multivariate analyses with vibratory thresholds as the dependent variable, duration of diabetes (P < 0.01), age (P <. 01) and systolic BP (SEP) (P <.01) explained approximately 70% of the overall variability of the gender-specific tie, female) model. The var iability was similar tie, 70% to 73%) no matter which SEP measure was available for modeling. In terms of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) mea sures, only the percentage of abnormal readings tie, > 90 mm Hg) for d ay DBP was found to be independently associated with vibratory thresho lds for women. The association of BP and large sensory nerve fiber dys function for nonnephropathic diabetic women found in this cross-sectio nal study warrants further investigation. (C) 1997 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.