Effect of systolic blood pressure on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective To investigate the effect of systolic blood pressure( SBP) on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity( BaPWV) in the elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus( T2DM). Methods BaPWV was measured in 292 elderly subjects with T2DM and analyzed according to the basis of SBP level. Results( 1) The level of BaPWV was higher in the two high-SBP groups than that in the normal-SBP group( P 0. 01).( 2) BaPWV was positively and significantly correlated with age,SBP,diastolic blood pressure( DBP) and fasting plasma glucose( FPG)( P 0. 05).( 3) Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that age,SBP and FPG were the risk factors of BaPWV. Conclusions Early blood pressure control,especially for SBP,is important for the prevention of arterial stiffness and vascular complications in the elderly patients with T2DM.