The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between 24-h BP profil and erythropoietin level in diabetics.
Patients and methods: This study included 58 patients (26 women and 32 men, mean age: 58.7 +/- 14.6 yrs, diabetes duration: 16 +/- 11.2 yrs). Patients were divided by 24 hrs ABPM into 2 groups, one in which night-time pressures dipped by more than 10% (dippers, n = 16) and the other in which pressures dipped by less than 10% (non-dippers, n = 42) when compared to daytime pressures. Haemoglobin (Hb) and erythropoietin (EPO) levels where compared between diabetics and a control group (n = 110) and between dippers and non-dippers.
Results: Hb concentration of diabetics was significantly lower than those of control subjects (13.5 +/- 1.5 vs 14.5 +/- 1 g/dL; p < 0.0001) but EPO levels did not differ from significant manner between these two groups. EPO concentrations were lower in dippers than in control subjects (13.7 +/- 5.4 vs 17.9 +/- 5 mU/mL; p < 0.01), but there was not significant difference in Hb levels. Non-dippers had a Hb level lower than dippers (13.1 +/- 1.5 vs 14.6 +/- 1.1 g/dL, p < 0.0001), but EPO concentrations did not differ from significant manner. Hb was correlated with between daytime and night-time BP difference (SBP: r = 0.262; p < 0.05 and DBP: r = 0.396; p < 0.002). Hb was negatively correlated with albumin excretion rate (r = -0.335, p < 0.01) and with creatinine level (r = -0.419: p < 0.001).
Conclusion: These data indicated that EPO production could be impaired in diabetics with abnormal diurnal BP variation. Nephropathy and cardiac autonomic dysfunction could explain these results.