title: Managing atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus with its increasing prevalence is a major global health problem in United States. Macrovascular complications, especially atherosclerosis, are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolic syndrome is considered to be a metabolic precursor of type 2 diabetes mellitus and is an independent risk factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. It is a constellation of proatherogenic metabolic abnormalities, which include obesity, hypertension, characteristic dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and compensatory hyperinsulinemia. Recent epidemiological data have demonstrated a strong causal association between insulin resistance and coronary vascular disease independent of hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the general population and its role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, every attempt should be made to recognize early the metabolic syndrome and to modify the associated proatherogenic metabolic abnormalities. Management of atherosclerosis in insulin-resistant states like metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes is a multifactorial process involving nonpharmacological interventions like exercise, diet control, and pharmacological therapy directed at hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Further research is warranted to demonstrate the effects of these interventions unequivocally in preventing the progression of metabolic syndrome to overt type 2 diabetes mellitus with its associated macrovascular complications.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, USA.
authors.forename: Suneetha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venkatapuram
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Shannon
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents