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Endothelial Dysfunction in Impaired Fasting Glycemia, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2008.03.087Get rights and content

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether abnormal endothelial function is present in early stages of diabetes, such as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Endothelial function was assessed by measuring flow-mediated dilatation and nitrate-induced dilatation of the brachial artery using high-resolution ultrasound. Fasting serum lipid levels were determined, and glucose and insulin values in response to a 75-g oral glucose load were also measured. The results showed the following new findings: (1) compared with subjects with normal glucose tolerance, those with IFG and IGT had impaired flow-mediated dilatation, more remarkable in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus than those with IFG and IGT, and (2) flow-mediated dilatation was inversely and strongly related to the extent of hyperglycemia. In conclusion, endothelial dysfunction is present in subjects with IGT and IFG, indicating endothelial damage in these stages.

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Methods and Results

Subjects were divided into different categories (46 with normal glucose tolerance, 30 with IFG, 38 with IGT, and 44 with T2DM) on the basis of fasting plasma glucose concentrations and 2-hour plasma glucose concentrations during the standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT; 2-hour plasma glucose). IFG was defined as fasting plasma glucose of 5.6 to <7.0 mmol/L and OGTT 2-h plasma glucose <7.8 mmol/L. IGT was defined as OGTT 2-hour plasma glucose of 7.8 to <11.1 mmol/L and fasting plasma

Discussion

The results of this study show the following new findings: (1) compared with control subjects, subjects with IFG and IGT had impaired FMD, more remarkable in those with T2DM than those with IFG and IGT, and (2) FMD was inversely and strongly related to the extent of hyperglycemia.

The endothelium is the common target of all cardiovascular risk factors, and functional impairment of the vascular endothelium in response to injury occurs long before the development of visible atherosclerosis.6 The

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