Association of blood inflammatory markers with ankle brachial pressure index in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: A significant positive correlation exists between the inflammatory markers, hs-CRP (C reactive protein) and ferritin and the parameters of dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Not much is known regarding diabetes, inflammation and vasculopathy especially in relation to ferritin from this region. Aim: To correlate serum CRP and ferritin levels with Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) in type 2 diabetic patients. Methodology: Descriptive observational study of 50 diabetic patients done at K. S. Hegde Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Results: ABPI correlated negatively with serum ferritin values; with a Pearson correlation value and p value of - 0.187 and 0.194 respectively. Also, ABPI negatively correlated with CRP, and this correlation was statistically significant (-0.382, P=0.006). Conclusion: Measurement of ABPI is a simple and clinically useful tool in identifying peripheral arterial disease in patients at risk of accelerated atherosclerosis. ABPI negatively correlated with serum ferritin and CRP levels in this study, though the association with ferritin was statistically not significant. Further large scale studies are needed to elucidate the association of ferritin as a nonconventional risk factor of atherosclerosis and PAD in type 2 diabetes mellitus.