RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION OF BRACHIAL ARTERY AND CAROTID IMT IN HYPERTENSION AND DIABETES MELLITUS

[Objective] To investigate the relationship between endothelial function of brachial artery and carotid intima-media thickness(IMT in patients with essential hypertension and diabetes mellitus.[Methods] The patients were divided into 2 groups,essential hypertension group(A group,n=41),diabetes mellitus group(B group,n=31)and 29 healthy subjects served as normal control(C group).The intima-media thickness(IMT)of the common carotid artery and diameters of the brachial artery at rest,reactive hyperemia and after nitroglycerin administration were measured by color Doppler ultrasonography respectively.[Results] The brachial artery vascular diameter was no significantly difference at resting state among the three groups(P﹥0.05).Compared with the controls group,FMD was significantly decreased in both of A and B groups(P﹤0.01);Compared with control group the NID was also significantly decreased in B group(P﹤0.05),but there was no significantly difference between A and C groups(P﹥0.05).Compared with theC group,the carotid artery IMT was significantly differences in both of A and B groups(P﹤0.05),but there was no significantly difference among the three groups(P﹥0.05)after 60 years old.[Conclusion] Endothelial function of brachial artery and IMT of carotic arteries were closely related with essential hyper-tension and diabetes mellitus,but the ED displayed early than the changes of carotid IMT in two diseases.The combined use of branchial artery FMD and IMT of carotid arteries measurements by color Doppler ultrasonography may be a effect method to evaluate ED.