Research on arterial stiffness status in type 2 diabetic patients based on pulse waveform characteristics

For patients with type 2 diabetes, the evaluation of pulse waveform characteristics is helpful to understand changes in arterial stiffness. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of pulse waveform parameters. Here, we aimed to investigate the changes in pulse waveform characteristics in patients with type 2 diabetes due to increased arterial stiffness. In this study, 25 patients with type 2 diabetes and 50 healthy subjects were selected based on their clinical history. Age, height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse pressure were collected as the subjects' basic characteristics. The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was collected as an index of arterial stiffness. Parameters of time [the pulse wave period (T), the relative positions of peak point (T1) and notch point (T2), and pulse wave time difference between upper and lower limbs (T3)] and area [the total waveform area (A), and the areas of the waveform before (A1) and after (A2) the notch point] were extracted from the pulse wave signals as pulse waveform characteristics. An independent sample t-test was performed to determine whether there were significant differences between groups. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to determine the correlations between pulse waveform parameters and baPWV. There were significant differences in T3, A, A1, and A2 between the groups (p<0.05). For patients with type 2 diabetes, there were statistically significant correlations between baPWV and T3, A, A1, and A2 (p<0.05). This study quantitatively assessed changes in arterial pulse waveform parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes. It was demonstrated that pulse waveform characteristics (T3, A, A1, and A2) could be used as indices of arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes.