Treatment with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion is associated with lower arterial stiffness

To investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and insulin treatment mode [continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) versus multiple daily injections (MDI)] in type 1 diabetes patients.

Cross-sectional study, from 2009 to 2011, including 601 Caucasian type 1 diabetes patients, 58 and 543 treated with CSII and MDI, respectively. Arterial stiffness was measured as pulse wave velocity (PWV) (SphygmoCor, AtCor Medical). Adjustment included gender, age, diabetes duration, HbA1c, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, P-creatinine, urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), smoking, total daily insulin dose, antihypertensive treatment, previous cardiovascular disease (CVD), total cholesterol and statin treatment. Albuminuria was UAER ≥30 mg/24-h, and CVD included myocardial infarction, revascularization, peripheral arterial disease and stroke.

CSII- versus MDI-treated patients were 48 versus 57 % men, 51 ± 11 versus 54 ± 13 years old (mean ± SD), had 33 ± 12 versus 32 ± 16 years diabetes duration and HbA1c 7.8 ± 0.9 % (62 ± 10 mmol/mol) versus 8.0 ± 1.2 % (64 ± 13 mmol/mol) (P ≥ 0.08 for all). PWV was lower in CSII- versus MDI-treated patients (9.3 ± 2.8 vs. 10.4 ± 3.4 m/s; P = 0.016). In fully adjusted analysis, CSII treatment was significantly (P = 0.038) associated with lower PWV, whereas HbA1c-level was not (P = 0.93).

In type 1 diabetes patients, CSII treatment was associated with lower arterial stiffness independent of other risk factors, while HbA1c was not. Although glucose variability was not assessed, our results suggest that glucose variability and not HbA1c-level affect arterial stiffness. This needs confirmation in randomised prospective studies.