| Abstract: | ![]()
Maximum microvascular blood flow and resistance to flow were determined in the skin of nine hypertensive and nine normotensive Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients and nine control subjects to determine the influence of hypertension on these variables. Maximum blood flow was reduced in both the hypertensive (1.05 (0.70–1.42) V) and normotensive (1.04 (0.79–1.63) V) Type 2 diabetic patients when compared with control subjects (1.40 (1.26–2.13) V, p < 0.01 for hypertensive and p < 0.05 for normotensive patients, respectively); however, maximum blood flow was similar in both groups of diabetic patients (p = 0.82). In contrast, resistance to flow was significantly greater in the diabetic patients with hypertension (127.2 (87.5–181.3) mmHg V?1 vs 84.7 (61.9–123.0) mmHg V?1 normotensive diabetic patients, p < 0.02). In addition, R was greater in the normotensive Type 2 diabetic patients than in control subjects (70.7 (44.7–79.9) mmHg V?1, p < 0.05). These results suggest that hypertension is associated with an additional rise in pre-capillary vascular resistance in Type 2 diabetes which, while protecting the microcirculation from the effects of increased arterial pressure, may further diminish protective hyperaemic responses. |
