FIBRINOGEN AND ALBUMINURIA ARE RELATED TO THE PRESENCE AND SEVERITY OF PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL-DISEASE IN WOMEN WITH TYPE-2 DIABETES-MELLITUS

The relationship between the ultrasonographically determined presence and severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and cardiovascular r isk factors was studied in 30 postmenopausal, nonsmoking women with ty pe 2 diabetes mellitus. PAD was established on the basis of decreased ankle/arm index (AAI) of <0.9 in 15 patients. The control group includ ed 15 type 2 diabetic women with AAI>1.0. There were no differences wi th respect to diabetes control and systolic blood pressure between the patients with PAD and controls. The patients with PAD had significant ly higher mean fibrinogen concentrations (4.75 +/-0.35 vs 3.53 +/-0.36 g/L, P<0.01) and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) values (893 +/-501 v s 57 +/-24 mg/day, P<0.05) than the subjects in the control group. The re was no significant difference between the study groups with respect to any lipid variables. Significant partial correlations adjusted for age were observed between AAI (which expressed the severity of PAD) a nd log UAE (r=-0.55, P<0.01), creatinine (r=-0.48, P<0.01) and fibrino gen (r=-0.45, P<0.01). In the multiple stepwise regression analysis wi th AAI as a dependent variable, only fibrinogen (P=0.033) and log UAE (P=0.029) were included into the best model, In conclusion, in nonsmok ing women with type 2 diabetes mellitus, fibrinogen and albuminuria we re the only risk factors associated with both the presence and severit y of peripheral arterial disease.