Morphological Differences in the Abdominal Aorta Between Subjects With and Without Type 2 Diabetes

Aim Chronic hyperglycemia is a well-known risk factor for the development of many macrovascular complications, but hyperglycemia may be reportedly protective against abdominal aneurysms. Materials and methods In this study, we evaluated morphological differences in the abdominal aorta between subjects with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without abdominal aortic aneurysm and evaluated the correlation between imaging findings of computed tomography (CT) and diabetes-related parameters. Results The abdominal aortic diameter was significantly smaller in subjects with T2DM compared to non-diabetes mellitus (NDM) subjects (p=0.026). Abdominal aortic wall thickness assessed by contrast-enhanced CT was significantly greater in subjects with T2DM compared to NDM subjects (p=0.011). There was a significant single correlation between abdominal aortic diameter and age, gender, Brinkman index, HbA1c, and mean/max intima-media thickness (IMT). Multiple regression analysis showed that HbA1c was an independent negative factor affecting abdominal aortic diameter (t=-3.28, p=0.0036). And Brinkmann index was an independent factor affecting aortic wall thickness (t=2.23, p=0.034). Conclusion This study revealed the imaging characteristics of smaller abdominal aortic diameter and larger wall thickness in T2DM subjects compared to NDM subjects. The abdominal aortic wall thickening was significantly correlated with cervical IMT. Therefore, close examination for other diabetes-related macrovascular complications should be aggressively considered when these findings are present.