Association of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity with subclinical diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aim: Subclinical diabetic peripheral neuropathy (sDPN) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is insidious, but has been complicated with neurological damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and sDPN in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to provide reference for clinical prevention and treatment of sDPN.

Materials and methods: From November 2021 to May 2024, a total of 711 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without symptoms and signs of peripheral nerve damage were recruited. According to whether the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) was abnormal or not, they were divided into the sDPN group and the non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy (non-DPN) group. Logistic regression model, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis and subgroup analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between baPWV and sDPN.

Results: A total of 204 (28.69%) of the 711 participants were diagnosed with sDPN. Both amplitude and conduction velocity were negatively correlated with baPWV. In the fully adjusted model, elevated baPWV levels were significantly associated with an increased sDPN risk, with odds ratio (OR) = 1.084, 95% confidence interval (CI): (1.023, 1.148), P = 0.006. RCS showed a linear association between baPWV and sDPN. Subgroup analysis further confirmed that the positive association between baPWV and sDPN was consistent and robust across groups.

Conclusions: Our study indicates a pronounced link between higher baPWV and increased risk of sDPN among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without symptoms and signs of peripheral nerve damage. These findings underscore the importance of baPWV for early identification of sDPN.