title: [Microcirculation in diabetes: implications for chronic complications and treatment of the disease].
abstract: Diabetic microangiopathy is responsible for an important rate of morbidity and mortality related to the disease. Endothelial damage seems to be the triggering factor in the pathogenesis of microvascular complications. Diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases are associated to endothelial dysfunction, the most precocious known marker of atherosclerosis. Changes on microvascular reactivity are present in patients with diabetes mellitus, as well as in individuals with risk factors for this disease. Evaluation of endothelial and microvascular functions is possible using different invasive or preferentially non-invasive methods. Adequate control of diabetes mellitus might postpone or perhaps even prevent the microvascular disease. Microvascular dysfunction, when seen only by changes on microvascular reactivity, could be ameliorated with correction of risk factors or drug treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Microcirculação, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Guilherme K de
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.forename: Nivaldo Ribeiro
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Villela
authors.forename: Eliete
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouskela
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation; D012307:Risk Factors