PURPOSE: To evaluate duplex Doppler sonography to assess renal vascula
r resistance (RVR) in diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resist
ive indexes (RIs) and pulsatility indexes (PIs) were measured in intra
renal arteries of 144 patients with diabetes mellitus and 61 control s
ubjects. RIs and PIs were compared for control subjects and patients w
ith diabetic nephropathy and correlated with laboratory and clinical f
indings. RESULTS: In control subjects, the mean RI was 0.595 +/- 0.033
(standard deviation) and mean PE was 1.001 +/- 0.105. Elevated RIs an
d PIs accompanied progression of nephropathy. Statistically significan
t (P < .001) correlations were observed between both RI and PI and ser
um creatinine level, creatinine clearance rate, systolic and diastolic
blood pressure measurements, and patient age. CONCLUSION: Doppler ind
exes reflect increased RVR in diabetic nephropathy and correlate with
laboratory and clinical parameters, but RI and PI measurements offer n
o advantages over these parameters to predict disease progress or in p
atient care.