Assessment of Plantar Blood Flow and Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Type 2 Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients-

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) causes disturbances in the foot blood flow, contributing to the etiology of diabetic foot ulcers and Charcot neuroarthropathy. Diabetic patients with microvascular complications appear to be at high risk of accelerated atherosclerosis. Aim of Study: To assess the foot blood flow hemodynam-ic abnormalities, as well as carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurement, which is eventual indicator of ather-osclerosis that is not yet clinically apparent in type 2 DPN patients. Patients and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was carried outon sixty type 2 diabetic patients with DPN and sixty healthy controls. Using color Doppler ultrasonogra-phy, the volume flow rate and peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the plantar metatarsal arteries, posterior tibial artery, and dorsal is pedis artery were evaluated, as well as CIMT was measured. Results: Compared to healthy controls, DPN patients have significantly higher volume flow rates and PSVs in the first, second, third, and fourth plantar metatarsal arteries as well as the lateral digital artery of the fifth toe (p-values ≤0.001). Re-garding the volume flow rate and PSV in the dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial arteries, do not statistically differ between the two groups. DPN patients have a considerably thicker CIMT than healthy controls (p<0.0001). Conclusions: DPN is linked to anobvious rise in the vol-ume flow rate and PSV in the plantar metatarsal arteries. More-over, DPN is highly associated with increased CIMT.