title: Postprandial hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular complications of diabetes: an update.
abstract: Type 2 diabetes is characterised by a gradual decline in insulin secretion in response to nutrient loads; hence, it is primarily a disorder of postprandial glucose (PPG) regulation. However, physicians continue to rely on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels as indicators for disease management. There is a linear relationship between the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the two-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), while a recent study confirms postprandial hyperglycaemia as an independent risk factor for CVD in type 2 diabetes. At the same time, several intervention studies have shown that treating postprandial hyperglycaemia may reduce the incidence of new cardiovascular events. Evidence supports the hypothesis that postprandial hyperglycaemia may be linked to CVD through the generation of oxidative stress. Furthermore, clinical data suggest that postprandial hyperglycaemia is a common phenomenon, even in patients who may be considered in 'good metabolic control'. Therefore, in addition to HbA1c and FPG, physicians should consider monitoring and targeting PPG in patients with type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Science Research Institute, Clinical Science Building, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. antonio.ceriello@warwick.ac.uk
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceriello
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Markolf
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanefeld
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leiter
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monnier
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tuomilehto
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019518:Postprandial Period; D012307:Risk Factors