Rheographic estimation of peripheral diabetic angiopathy.

Longitudinal rheography was used for investigation of 294 diabetics and 176 healthy controls aged 3-82 years. It was found that the vascular lesions in the lower extremities in diabetics are bilaterally similar, and that they are 3-14 times more frequent in comparison with nondiabetic controls. Whereas the diabetics are certainly threatened by severe vascular obliteration with advanced age, the same is not necessary for the nondiabetics. Lighter vascular lesions were found even in diabetic children under 5 years of age. A conclusion is reached that rheography is a reliable method for investigation of vascular lesions in diabetic patients.