PLoS ONE (Jan 2013)
Cerebral hemodynamics and systemic endothelial function are already impaired in well-controlled type 2 diabetic patients, with short-term disease.
Abstract
ObjectiveImpaired cerebral vasomotor reactivity (VMR) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were found in selected subgroups of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with long-term disease. Our study aimed to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics, systemic endothelial function and sympatho-vagal balance in a selected population of well-controlled T2DM patients with short-term disease and without cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN).Research design and methodsTwenty-six T2DM patients with short-term (4.40±4.80 years) and well-controlled (HbA1C = 6.71±1.29%) disease, without any complications, treated with diet and/or metformin, were consecutively recruited. Eighteen controls, comparable by sex and age, were enrolled also.ResultsFMD and shear rate FMD were found to be reduced in T2DM subjects with short-term disease (8.5% SD 3.5 and 2.5 SD 1.3, respectively) compared to controls (15.4% SD 4.1 and 3.5 SD 1.4; p.05).ConclusionsIn well-controlled T2DM patients with short-term disease cerebral hemodynamics and systemic endothelial function are altered while autonomic balance appeared to be preserved.