The Assessment Of Ulnar Artery Wall Elasticity In The Patients With Type2Diabetes Mellitus Or Primary Hypertension By Ultrasound Elastography

Methods:Patients were divided into four groups as follows:36cases in control group,34cases of T2DM,37cases of primary hypertension and32patients with T2DM complicated with primary hypertension. The ulnar artery vessel diameter in above four groups were measured by Hitachi HV-900Color Doppler Ultrasound scanner. The ratio B/A (the ratio of elastic stiffness coefficient) of the ulnar artery were calculated by ultrasound elastography. The vessel diameter, B/A and general data were analyzed comparatively. The control group was divided into three subgroups by age, young group, middle-age group and old group. The primary hypertension group was divided into three subgroups by blood pressure level, mild group, moderate group and severe group. Thus B/A and correlation with blood pressure of above subgroups were compared and discussed correspondingly.Results1There was no statistical difference among height, heart rate, weight,sex and laboratory biochemistry data in groups (P>0.05).2There was no significant difference in ulnar artery vessel diameters and B/A between left and right hands (P>0.05)3There was no significant difference in ulnar artery vessel diameters of four groups. 4The strain ratio (B/A) of T2DM group and primary hypertension group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.01).5Between primary hypertension group and T2DM group, the difference in B/A was not statistically significant (P>0.05)6The B/A in the group with T2DM complicated with primary hypertension was significantly higher than control group, T2DM group and primary hypertension group.7The ulnar artery wall elasticity and the age were positively correlated (all P<0.01).8The blood pressure and the ulnar artery wall elasticity were positively correlated (all P<0.01)Conclusion There was no significant difference in ulnar artery vessel diameters between T2DM group and primary hypertension group but the vessel wall flexibility decreased significantly, especially in patients with T2DM complicated with primary hypertension, which indicates the vascular injury. So ultrasound elastography can accurately and rapidly evaluate vascular injury before morphological change of vascular wall, which can help clinical physician with early and aggressive treatment.