Increased aortic stiffness in women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus is associated with diabetes duration and autonomic nerve function

AimsThe increase in risk for cardiovascular complications in diabetic women is even greater than that in diabetic men. We found arterial stiffness to be increased in women, but not in men, with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). The aims of the present study were to evaluate whether the changes in arterial distensibility are influenced by diabetes duration and to evaluate any association between autonomic neuropathy and decreased arterial distensibility.MethodsStiffness of the abdominal aorta was measured noninvasively using echo‐tracking sonography and parasympathetic function by heart rate variation during deep breathing (E/I ratio) in 40 women (mean age 33 years, range 20‐61) and 38 men (mean age 36 years, range 22‐56) with Type 1 DM.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between aortic stiffness and duration of diabetes in women (r = 0.41, P = 0.008), but not in men (r = 0.15, P = 0.35). There was also a significant correlation between aortic stiffness and the E/I ratio in women (r = ‐0.49, P = 0.002), but not in men (r = ‐0.14, P = 0.41). When adjusted for diabetes duration, the significant association between the E/I ratio and aortic stiffness remained in diabetic women (r =