Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of metabolic control and different risk factors of arteriosclerosis in lower extremity complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the therapeutic efficacy of PGE1.Methods One hundred and sixty-eight hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the recent two years were enrolled in our study. We observed the ABI level through the Hunt Leigh Doppler manometry, and compared the risk factors such as the function of pancreatic island, metabolic control etc. Among the diabetics with macro-vascular complications, a therapy of Lipo prostaglandin E₁(PGE1) was installed in all patients whose ABI were lower than 1 for 10 to 14 days, and then the ABI levels were observed again. All subjects in our study were divided into three sub-groups based on their ABI, they are group A: ABI>1, group B: 1>ABI>0.5, group C: ABI<0.5.Results The results of 24 h monitoring of blood pressure showed that the Min-DBP in group C was significantly lower than that in group A and B, the P-values were 0.047 and 0.010 respectively. In UCG, the level of EF in group B was significantly higher than those in group A and C, the P-values were 0.006 respectively and 0.005 respectively. The level of UAER in group B was significantly higher than that in group A, P=0.22. Univariate analyses showed that in all lower ABI patients, age at examination, duration of diabetes, C-peptide level, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, urinary albumin excretion rate(UAER) were higher than those who had normal ABI, although the difference was not significant. Multivariate analyses showed that UAER was positively related to ABI. After the PGE₁ therapy for 10 or 14 days, the ABI levels were all higher than the baseline, but difference was not significant.Conclusion ABI level is effective in evaluatin g the arteriosclerosis in lower extremity in type 2 diabetes. We can deduce the ABI level by HDL cholesterol. PGE1 can improve the ABI level of chronic arterial ischemia of legs.

Key words: type 2 diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerosis in lower extremity, the ankle/brachial index