Type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases: evaluation, treatment and prevention strategies
Mosseri, M.M.; Fisman, E.Z.; Tenenbaum, A.
Harefuah 145(2): 141-6 164
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-7768 PMID: 16509421 Document Number: 603858
Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at high risk for cardiovascular events and heart failure. The major serious complication of this disorder is large vessel atherosclerosis leading to myocardial infarction and stroke. Aggressive target setting for modifiable cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and a procoagulant state, and judicious choice of efficacious therapies have been shown to produce significant reductions in cardiovascular events. The effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in diabetes is discussed, and the factors that may influence outcomes are explored. A major unresolved question is the potential role of tight glucose control for reducing macrovascular complications in patients with diabetes. With the increased attention being given to cardiovascular risk factor reduction, the opportunity exists to substantially decrease the largest causes of mortality in diabetic patients. This article reviews the current and emerging therapeutic strategies for these purposes from the cardiologists' point of view.