The linear association between pulse pressure and diabetic retinopathy: a cross-sectional study
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Cardiology, Gansu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine , ,
- 2Clinical College of Chinese Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine , , ,
- 3Department of Geriatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , ,
- 4Department of Critical Care Medicine, Gansu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine , ,
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between pulse pressure (PP) and the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: This research is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study conducted between April 2002 and November 2004, which included 2,001 adults with diabetes mellitus (859 men and 1,142 women, mean age 64.1 ± 11.3 years) recruited from outpatient clinics in southern Taiwan. Comprehensive demographic and clinical data were collected, defining pulse pressure as the difference between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measured in mmHg. The association between PP and DR was assessed using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders, and a generalized additive model (GAM) was utilized to explore non-linear relationships.
Results: Elevated PP levels were consistently associated with higher odds of prevalent DR across progressively adjusted models. When PP was modeled per 10-mmHg increment, the association remained significant in Model 1 (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.09–1.23; P < 0.0001), Model 2 (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.06–1.21; P = 0.0002), and Model 3 (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.02–1.17; P = 0.0136). When analyzed by tertiles, the middle tertile (50–61 mmHg) showed significant associations in the unadjusted model (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.04–1.66; P = 0.0218) that diminished upon full adjustment (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.92–1.52; P = 0.1828). In contrast, the high tertile (62–136 mmHg) maintained a significant association after adjustments (Model 1: OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.44–2.29; P < 0.0001; Model 3: OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.13–1.91; P = 0.0039).
Conclusions: This study indicates higher PP was associated with higher odds of prevalent DR in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
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BibTeX
@article{he2026linear,
title = {{The linear association between pulse pressure and diabetic retinopathy: a cross-sectional study}},
author = {Jinli He and Juan Ling and Xinlin Chen and Lina Zhang},
journal = {Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3389/fcvm.2026.1918226},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13662071},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The linear association between pulse pressure and diabetic retinopathy: a cross-sectional study
AU - Jinli He
AU - Juan Ling
AU - Xinlin Chen
AU - Lina Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine
DO - 10.3389/fcvm.2026.1918226
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13662071
AB - Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between pulse pressure (PP) and the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: This research is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study conducted between April 2002 and November 2004, which included 2,001 adults with diabetes mellitus (859 men and 1,142 women, mean age 64.1 ± 11.3 years) recruited from outpatient clinics in southern Taiwan. Comprehensive demographic and clinical data were collected, defining pulse pressure as the difference between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measured in mmHg. The association between PP and DR was assessed using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders, and a generalized additive model (GAM) was utilized to explore non-linear relationships. Results: Elevated PP levels were consistently associated with higher odds of prevalent DR across progressively adjusted models. When PP was modeled per 10-mmHg increment, the association remained significant in Model 1 (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.09–1.23; P < 0.0001), Model 2 (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.06–1.21; P = 0.0002), and Model 3 (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.02–1.17; P = 0.0136). When analyzed by tertiles, the middle tertile (50–61 mmHg) showed significant associations in the unadjusted model (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.04–1.66; P = 0.0218) that diminished upon full adjustment (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.92–1.52; P = 0.1828). In contrast, the high tertile (62–136 mmHg) maintained a significant association after adjustments (Model 1: OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.44–2.29; P < 0.0001; Model 3: OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.13–1.91; P = 0.0039). Conclusions: This study indicates higher PP was associated with higher odds of prevalent DR in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
SN - 2297-055X
ER -