title: Atherogenesis and atherothrombosis--focus on diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus represents a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developed countries, and atherothrombosis accounts for most deaths among patients with diabetes mellitus. Atherothrombosis is defined as atherosclerotic lesion disruption with superimposed thrombus formation. As a long-term, progressive disease process, atherosclerosis often results in an acute atherothrombotic event through plaque rupture and formation of a platelet-rich thrombus. The principal clinical manifestations of atherothrombosis are sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and peripheral arterial ischaemia comprising both intermittent claudication and critical limb ischaemia. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world, and diabetes mellitus magnifies the risk of cardiovascular events. In addition to the well-known microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus - such as nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy - the risk of macrovascular complications affecting the large conduit arteries markedly increases in patients with diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stratmann
authors.forename: Diethelm
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tschoepe
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000502:physiology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*