title: Diabetes Mellitus, Arterial Wall, and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease or stroke than adults without diabetes. The two major features of diabetes, i.e., hyperglycemia and insulin-resistance, trigger arterial stiffening and increase the susceptibility of the arterial wall to atherosclerosis at any given age. These pathological changes in the arterial wall may provide a functional and structural background for cardiovascular events. The present paper provides a critical overview of the clinical evidence linking diabetes-related metabolic abnormalities to cardiovascular risk, debates the pathophysiologic mechanisms through which insulin resistance and hyperglycemia may affect the arterial wall, and discusses the associations between vascular biomarkers, metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular events.
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa 56122, Italy. m.kozakova@int.med.unipi.it.
authors: Michaela
authors: M
authors: Kozakova
authors: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa 56122, Italy. carlo.palombo@unipi.it.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Palombo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: arterial stiffness; atherosclerosis; cardiovascular risk; diabetes; hyperglycemia; insulin resistance