Arterial Stiffness Is More Associated with Albuminuria than Decreased Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The REBOUND Study

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between arterial stiffness and albuminuria and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods. This multicenter cohort study analyzed 2613 patients with type 2 diabetes. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was used as a noninvasive marker of arterial stiffness. Additionally, the patients were categorized into four groups according to their albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR, normoalbuminuria versus albuminuria) and estimated GFR (eGFR, <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 versus ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Results. A univariate analysis revealed that maximal baPWV was significantly associated with both the ACR (, ) and eGFR (, ). A multivariate analysis adjusted for significant clinical variables and eGFR showed that baPWV remained significantly correlated with the ACR (, ). Also, baPWV was correlated positively with the ACR in patients with an eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (, ). However, baPWV was not correlated with eGFR after adjustment for significant clinical variables. Conclusions. The present findings indicate that arterial stiffness is more associated with albuminuria than a decrease in GFR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.