Multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging quantifies atherosclerosis and vascular dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Published in: Diabetes & vascular disease research Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 44 - 48
• Main Authors: Lee, Justin MS, Shirodaria, Cheerag, Jackson, Clare E, Robson, Matthew D, Antoniades, Charalambos, Francis, Jane M, Wiesmann, Frank, Channon, Keith M, Neubauer, Stefan, Choudhury, Robin P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.03.2007
• Subjects: Aged; Arteries - pathology; Arteries - physiopathology; Atherosclerosis - etiology; Atherosclerosis - pathology; Atherosclerosis - physiopathology; Coronary Artery Disease - etiology; Coronary Artery Disease - pathology; Coronary Artery Disease - physiopathology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - physiopathology; Diabetic Angiopathies - etiology; Diabetic Angiopathies - pathology; Diabetic Angiopathies - physiopathology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; Middle Aged; coronary artery disease; endothelial function; atherosclerosis; magnetic resonance imaging; distensibility; diabetes
• ISSN: 1479-1641; 1752-8984
• DOI: 10.3132/dvdr.2007.005

Vascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as a powerful research tool. We studied 18 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 20 controls (all with coronary artery disease). MRI measured distensibility, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and atherosclerosis in the aorta, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Patients with diabetes showed lower aortic distensibility (2.1 × 10-3 vs. 3.5 × 10-3 mmHg-1, p<0.01), faster PWV (8.8 vs., 6.2 m/s, p<0.01) and impaired FMD (8.5% vs. 13.8%, p<0.05). Diabetes was an independent negative predictor of distensibility. Aortic atherosclerosis was similar in the two groups. There was a negative correlation between aortic distensibility and atherosclerosis in control subjects only, suggesting that other factors such as protein cross-linking may explain lower aortic distensibility in diabetes. MRI provides comprehensive vascular phenotyping in patients with type 2 diabetes and is likely to be useful in studies of disease progression and drug therapy.