[Diabetic cardiomyopathy: pathophysiological mechanisms of structural and functional changes.].

Diabetes mellitus is a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Diabetic patients also have an increased incidence of heart failure which has been traditionally attributed to the presence of ischemic or hypertensive heart disease. However, the diabetic milieu is itself noxious to the heart, and cardiomyopathy can develop independent of elevated blood pressure, coronary artery disease or other risk factors with the potential to lead to a progressive development of heart failure. Diabetic car- diomyopathy is characterized by significant changes in function and structure of the heart. They have been studied in numerous diabetic experimental models in animals, mostly rodents. Revealing of potential underlying mechanisms of these pathophysiological alterations holds the promise to design new pharmacological strategies for diabetic patients. Our current review provides an update on functional and structural alterations in the diabetic heart and pathophysiological mechanisms of their development and progression.