Systolic interarm blood pressure difference in West Africans with diabetes

Background Increased systolic interarm blood pressure difference (sIAD) typically reflects vascular pathology and is a known indicator of earlier death. In diabetes, the burden and predictors of elevated sIAD vary by ethnicity, but data in Africans are extremely limited. This study examined sIAD and associated in West Africans with diabetes. Methods In this cross-sectional study among 745 Ghanaians [aged 27–88 years (mean [SD], 59.92 [±10.11] years); 76.8% women] with diabetes [mean diabetes duration [SD], 8.5 [±4.47] years], sIAD was measured using the simultaneous measurement method. Results The prevalence of sIADH≥5 mmHg, sIADH≥10 mmHg, sIADH≥15 mmHg, and sIADH≥20 mmHg were 52.1%, 22.6%, 10.6%, and 5.0% respectively. In an age-sex adjusted model, obesity [odds ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.29–2.66, p = 0.001] and CKD [1.54(1.08–2.18), 0.017] were associated with sIAD≥10 mmHg; the associations of hypertension [1.50 (1.00–2.27), 0.053] tended towards statistical significance. In a model that further adjusted for diabetes duration and systolic blood pressure, the association remained significant for obesity [1.86(1.28–2.69), 0.001]. Conclusions Elevated sIAD is prevalent in West Africans with diabetes. Future studies could characterize the clinical significance of this high prevalence.