Renal artery stenosis in hypertensive patients with or without type 2 diabetes: a comparative magnetic resonance angiography study.

BACKGROUND Increased prevalence of various vascular diseases is common in type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the increased prevalence of renal artery atheroma resulting in renal artery stenosis in patients with diabetes mellitus has not been fully assessed. We used magnetic resonance angiography to assess the prevalence of renal artery stenosis in a group of patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus and compared them with a group of hypertensive patients without diabetes. METHODS One hundred and seventy-three individuals were recruited consecutively in this study. They were divided into two groups: 50 patients with known type 2 diabetes and coexistent hypertension in group A and 123 hypertensive patients without diabetes in group B. All the patients underwent magnetic resonance angiography of the renal arteries to assess the presence of renal artery stenosis. RESULTS The prevalence of renal artery stenosis in groups A and B was 44% and 35.8%, respectively (P=0.402). However, there was a significant association between the age and renal artery stenosis (P=0.023). CONCLUSION Diabetes mellitus was not associated with the increased prevalence of renal artery stenosis in our study.