Type 2 diabetic individuals have impaired leg blood flow responses to exercise: role of endothelium-dependent vasodilation.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic individuals have impaired endothelium-dependent forearm vasodilatory responses to ischemia, acetylcholine, and other endothelium-dependent agonists. The functional significance of impaired endothelium-dependent dilation in diabetic individuals is uncertain but is most likely to be manifest during leg muscle exercise and may have relevance to peripheral vascular disease and leg ischemia, which is prevalent in diabetic individuals. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between leg blood flow (LBF) responses to endothelium-dependent vasodilation and dynamic large muscle exercise. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: LBF responses (thermodilution) to intrafemoral arte..