Insulin resistance is associated with increased renal resistive index independent of other factors in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertensive patients.

Renal resistive index (RRI) is increased in subjects with diabetes. We analyzed whether insulin resistance is independently related with RRI. Medical history, physical examination, laboratory analysis, Doppler ultrasonography, and 24-hour urinary albumin excretion were analyzed. The threshold for an increased RRI was at least 0.70, which has been previously shown to be discriminatory of increased RRI level. Eighty newly diagnosed essential hypertensive and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were included. Sixty-one patients had low RRI (<0.70). When compared with low-RRI patients, those with high RRI were older and had higher pulse pressure, serum creatinine, and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index. The HOMA index and RRI were positively correlated (r = +0.371, P = .001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.164, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.040-1.303, P = .008), pulse pressure (OR = 1.188, 95% CI = 1.020-1.384, P = .027), and HOMA index (OR = 1.422, 95% CI = 1.085-1.862, P = .011) were independently associated with high RRI. Increased insulin resistance is independently related with increased RRI.