Introdução: A claudicação intermitente é a primeira etapa do desenvolvimento da doença arterial periférica. Consiste na queixa de dores nos membros inferiores durante a caminhada em decorrência da redução do fluxo sanguíneo. Pacientes com doença arterial periférica apresentam, frequentemente, diversas comorbidades, tais como diabetes mellitus. A hiperglicemia promove alterações vasculares e, associada à doença arterial periférica, traz sintomas que afetam a capacidade funcional dos indivíduos. Objetivo: Comparar a capacidade funcional de pacientes com doença arterial periférica com e sem o diabetes mellitus associado. Método: Foi realizada uma abordagem quantitativa, transversal, retrospectiva. Fizeram parte do estudo pacientes com doença arterial periférica grau II, divididos em dois grupos: grupo I — doença arterial periférica não diabéticos; e grupo II — doença arterial periférica e diabéticos. Indivíduos com restrições para exercícios físicos ou dificuldades em realizar os testes de capacidade funcional foram excluídos. Para a avaliação funcional, os pacientes foram submetidos aos testes de caminhada de 6 min e de caminhada de 4 m e ao Short Physical Performance Battery. Resultados: Para esses testes, verificamos diferença significante (p<0,05) entre os grupos, sendo melhor o desempenho do grupo I. O teste de caminhada de 4 m em velocidade rápida não demonstrou diferença significante.Conclusão: Os pacientes com diabetes mellitus apresentaram menor capacidade funcional em relação aos pacientes sem diabetes mellitus; assim, a presença da diabetes mellitus é um fator incapacitante para os pacientes com doença arterial periférica.Palavras-Chave: Doença arterial periférica, Diabetes mellitus, Claudicação intermitente Introduction: Intermittent claudication is the first stage of the development of peripheral artery disease. It consists of the complaint of pain in the lower limbs while walking, due to reduced blood flow. Patients with peripheral artery disease often have several comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycemia promotes vascular changes and, when associated with peripheral artery disease, brings symptoms that affect the functional capacity of individuals. Objective: To compare the functional capacity of patients with peripheral arterial disease with and without associated diabetes mellitus. Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional, retrospective approach was carried out. The study included patients with grade II peripheral artery disease, divided into two groups: non-diabetic peripheral artery disease group I and diabetic peripheral artery disease group II. Individuals with restrictions on physical exercise or with difficulties in performing functional capacity tests were excluded. For the functionalevaluation, the patients underwent the following tests: 6-minute walk, 4-meter walk and the Short Physical Performance Battery. Results: For the 6-minute walk, 4-meter walk at usual speed and Short Physical Performance Battery tests, we found a significant difference (p<0.05) between the groups, with better performance in group I. The 4-minute walk test meters at fast speed showed no significant difference. Conclusion: Patients with diabetes mellitus had lower functional capacity compared to patients without diabetes mellitus, therefore, the presence of diabetes mellitus is a disabling factor for patients with peripheral artery disease.Keywords: Peripheral arterial disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Intermittent claudication

Objective: Considering that the carotid bodies act on autonomic regulation and their impact on blood pressure control still needs to be better clarified, the objective of the study was to characterize the carotid body of patients with controlled and uncontrolled hypertension through a retrospective study of angiotomography. Design and method: For this, CT angiograms of hypertensive patients treated and evaluated at Heart Institute (USP, São Paulo, Brazil) were studied. The evaluated patients were separated into three groups: controlled hypertensive (C-Hyp, receiving up to 2 categories of antihypertensive drugs), resistant hypertensive (receiving 3 or more categories of antihypertensive drugs), with controlled blood pressure (CR-Hyp) and uncontrolled (UnCR -Hyp). CT angiography (Aquilion ONE/PRISM – Canon) of patients undergoing evaluation of cervical arteries with iodinated contrast were evaluated. The reconstructions of the arteries used slices of 0.5mm thickness, with orthogonal measurements of the carotid body to assess the diameters and bilateral carotid bifurcations. Results: The morphology of the common, internal and external carotid arteries was very similar between groups. The mean age of the assessed groups was not significantly different (C-Hyp: 59±14; CR-Hyp: 66±8; UnCR-Hyp: 52±13 years). In the C-Hyp group (n = 29), 24% had uncontrolled blood pressure, perhaps associated with the treatment adjustment process. When assessing the presence of atherosclerotic lesions, the C-Hyp and CR-Hyp groups showed a higher proportion (34% and 40%, respectively), when compared to uncontrolled resistant hypertensive patients (8.3%); however, this lower precentage must be due to the duration of treatment and the control of comorbidities that these patients must undergo. On the other hand, the UnCR-Hyp group showed a reduction in the axial and sagittal measures of the carotid body (1.9±0.3 and 2.8±0.7mm, respectively, -14% and -12%). Conclusions: This reduction observed in the carotid body may be related to a loss of microvascularization (making it difficult to measure on tomography) and interfering with blood pressure control in the UnCR-Hyp group. Further studies, including more patients and normotensive individuals, will be important to define which pattern of changes in the carotid body may be related to the loss of response to antihypertensive treatment.