Uday Subhash Bande1, Anish Anthony Tekkinadath2
BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy is the commonest cause of end-stage renal disease in the developed world. Recent studies have demonstrated that a difference in systolic blood pressure between arms is associated with cardiovascular disease and microalbuminuria. It is considered a predictor for cardiovascular disease and a surrogate marker for early kidney damage among patients with both type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim was to investigate an association between arm difference in systolic blood pressure and microalbuminuria which can serve as a marker for diabetic nephropathy.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
This study was conducted on 200 patients with diabetes mellitus and an inter-arm difference in systolic blood pressure was present in 35.7% of the study population. Presence of systolic blood pressure difference of more than 10 mmHg between arms correlated with microalbuminuria and duration of diabetes mellitus with a p value of <0.001. We also found a correlation between arm difference in blood pressure and duration of diabetes mellitus, presence of hypertension and body mass index.
CONCLUSION
The inter-arm difference in blood pressure could serve as a risk marker for renal damage in diabetes mellitus.
