title: Diabetes mellitus and vascular endothelial dysfunction: current perspectives.
abstract: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a high prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), as diabetes is implicated in the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Endothelial dysfunction is one of the precursor key steps in the development of atherosclerosis in diabetic subjects. Decreased nitric oxide (NO) production, increased oxidative stress and impaired function of endothelial progenitor cells are the main mechanisms involved in the accelerated atherosclerotic process observed in type 2 DM patients. Therapeutic approaches including classic agents such as statins, angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), antioxidants and novel agents such as tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and homocysteine (tHcy), have been implicated in order to ameliorate endothelial function of diabetic patients.
authors: 1st Cardiology Unit, Hippokration Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. drtousoulis@hotmail.com
authors: Dimitris
authors: D
authors: Tousoulis
authors: Anna-Maria
authors: AM
authors: Kampoli
authors: Christodoulos
authors: C
authors: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000502:physiology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D009569:Nitric Oxide