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Sickle cell trait may lead to CV disorders in adults with type 2 diabetes
The presence of sickle cell trait in African adults with type 2 diabetes may lead to increased vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress and abnormal blood rheology, according to research in Diabetes Care.
Mor Diaw, MD, of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal, and colleagues analyzed data from 28 adults with type 2 diabetes (14 with sickle cell trait) and 32 adults without diabetes (18 with sickle cell trait). All participants were Senegalese.
Researchers obtained blood samples to measure glucose, lipid profiles, plasma fibrinogen, HbA1c, oxidative stress, and inflammatory and nitric oxide metabolism biomarkers.
Participants with type 2 diabetes and sickle cell trait had the highest levels of vascular dysfunction, blood viscosity, oxidative stress, advanced glycation end products and interleukin-1b vs. adults who had type 2 diabetes and no sickle cell trait, adults with sickle cell trait and no diabetes or healthy adults. Participants with type 2 diabetes and sickle cell trait had a higher frequency of hypertension (64.3%) vs. those with type 2 diabetes but no sickle cell trait (50%), the sickle cell trait-only group (16.7%) and the healthy controls (14.3%; P < .01 for all), according to researchers. The diabetes and sickle cell trait group also had a higher frequency of microalbuminuria (57.1% vs. 28.6% in the diabetes-only group), whereas there were no cases in the sickle cell trait-only or healthy controls groups (P < .001).
“Despite the fact that individuals with [type 2 diabetes] were older than subjects with [type 2 diabetes and sickle cell trait], their vascular function was less altered,” the researchers wrote. “[Pulse wave velocity], [flow-mediated dilation] and corrected [flow-mediated dilation] were blunted in subjects with [type 2 diabetes and sickle cell trait] compared with the three other groups, demonstrating increased arterial stiffness and a loss of vascular reactivity in these subjects, which, in other diseases, have been shown to increase the risks for cardiovascular morbidity and/or mortality.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.