Using the spring constant method to analyze arterial elasticity in type 2 diabeticpatients

This study tests the validity of a newly-proposed spring constant method toanalyze arterial elasticity in type 2 diabetic patients.

The experimental group comprised 66 participants (36 men and 30 women) rangingbetween 46 and 86 years of age, all with diabetes mellitus. In the experimentalgroup, 21 participants suffered from atherosclerosis. All were subjected to themeasurements of both the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and thespring constant method. The comparison (control) group comprised 66 normalparticipants (37 men and 29 women) with an age range of 40 to 80 years who did nothave diabetes mellitus. All control group members were subjected to measurement bythe spring constant method.

Statistical analysis of the experimental and control groups indicated asignificant negative correlation between the spring constant and the cfPWV(P < .001; r = - 0.824 and – 0.71). Multivariateanalysis similarly indicated a close relationship. The Student’s ttest was used to examine the difference in the spring constant parameter betweenthe experimental and control groups. A P- value less than .05 confirmedthat the difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant. Inreceiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the Area Under Curve (AUC, = 0.85)indicates good discrimination. These findings imply that the spring constantmethod can effectively identify normal versus abnormal characteristics ofelasticity in normal and diabetic participants.

This study verifies the use of the spring constant method to assess arterialelasticity, and found it to be efficient and simple to use. The spring constantmethod should prove useful not only for improving clinical diagnoses, but also forscreening diabetic patients who display early evidence of vascular disease.