Association of ACE gene polymorphism with arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE - To assess the relationship between the insertion (I)/deletion ( D) polymorphism of the ACE gene and arterial distensibility in patients wit h type 2 diabetes and healthy control subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Aortic and carotid arterial distensibility we re evaluated by measuring aortic pulse-wave velocity (a-PWV) and carotid st iffness beta using an echo-tracking system in 137 patients with type 2 diab etes and 260 age-matched control subjects. RESULTS - a-PWV and carotid stiffness beta were significantly higher in pat ients with type 2 diabetes than in age-matched control subjects (P < 0.05). Both stiffness beta and a-PWV were significantly higher in the patients wi th the II genotype than in those with the DD genotype (P < 0.001). In the c ontrol subjects, multiple regression analysis showed that age and decreased HDL cholesterol were independently associated with increased a PWV (R-2 = 0.244, P < 0.0001) and that age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and BMI were independently associated with increased carotid stiffness beta (R -2 = 0.454, P < 0.0001). In the patients with type 2 diabetes, age, gene do se of the I allele, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were independ ently associated with increased a-PWV (R-2 = 0.545, P < 0.0001), and age, g ene dose of the I allele, and systolic blood pressure were associated with increases in carotid stiffness beta (R-2 = 0.314, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS - These results suggested that ACE polymorphism is associated w ith the impairment of aortic and carotid distensibility in patients with ty pe 2 diabetes.