Carotid stiffness and microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Microalbuminuria is associated with higher cardiovascular mortality, especially in diabetics. But the direct association between microalbuminuria and vascular wall properties is still not clear. We investigated quantitative carotid stiffness (QCS) index in relation to microalbuminuria in 260 Chinese diabetic patients. In categorical analyses, patients with elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) had higher QCS than those with normal uACR (P < 0.001). The corresponding values for QCS values were 4.4 and 5.9, respectively. In multiple stepwise regression analyses, QCS was significantly associated with age, uACR, plasma glycosylated hemoglobin A(1C) (HbA(1C)), and current smoking (P < 0.05 for all). In conclusion, carotid stiffness as measured by QCS, a local functional measurement of the arterial wall, is increased in type 2 diabetes with microalbuminuria.