Ambulatory arterial stiffness index in type 1 diabetes mellitus: any different during pregnancy?

Objective: To analyze the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) and pulse pressure (PP) during pregnancy and 3 months after delivery in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and compare it to healthy pregnant controls. Study design: Prospective, descriptive study of 59 women with T1DM and 42 non-diabetic women. Blood pressure was measured using a portable oscillometry monitor and AASI was calculated as 1 minus the regression slope of diastolic on systolic blood pressure obtained from 24-h monitoring. Main outcome measures were comparisons of the AASI and PP between T1DM women and controls examined during pregnancy, and of the AASI and PP during and after pregnancy in T1DM women. Results: PP and AASI were higher at all times during pregnancy in T1DM compared to postpartum (p < 0.01). AASI and PP were significantly associated with albumin excretion rate when adjusting for retinopathy, preeclampsia, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, age, and BMI. The AASI was positively correlated with night-day ratio in the 1st and 3rd trimesters during pregnancy. No difference was found in AASI compared with non-diabetic controls during pregnancy. Conclusions: AASI and PP increased during diabetic pregnancy and were associated with the women's albuminuria grade. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.