Association of Pulse Pressure Difference and Diabetes Mellitus in Chinese People: A Cohort Study

Here, we sought to determine the association between pulse pressure difference and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Chinese people.

This study involved 211,814 participants among whom 4156 had been diagnosed with T2DM. The correlation between pulse pressure difference and T2DM incidence in Chinese people was determined by multivariate analysis. A smooth curve fitting diagram was then used to explore correlation between pulse pressure difference and T2DM incidence. Finally, the inflection point in the correlation between pulse pressure difference and the T2DM incidence was located by piecewise linear regression.

To understand the relationship, adjustments were made for sex, age, total serum cholesterol (TC), fasting blood glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), family history of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), drinking status, and smoking status. Diabetes incidence increased by 0.3% [HR 1.003 (1.001, 1.005), p = <0.05] for every 1mmHg increase in pulse pressure difference. Smooth curve analysis showed that, when pulse pressure difference was ≤35mmHg, diabetes incidence negatively correlated to pulse pressure difference [HR 0.972 (0.953, 0.972) p = 0.053]. However, when pulse pressure difference was >35mmHg, diabetes incidence increased with increasing pulse pressure difference [HR 1.044 (1.042, 1.047) p = <0.001]. And between pulse pressure difference and fasting blood glucose in the final visit, the blood glucose level increased with the elevation of pulse pressure.

The risk of diabetes was lowest at about 35mmHg pulse pressure difference.