A study of cupremia in a group of elderly diabetics.

In diabetics, even in those without complications and/or alterations of lipid metabolism, higher levels of cupremia were found than in the controls; these increased levels were not correlated with the duration of the disease and the cupremia was more evident in the older patients and in those with complications. However, the increases were not dissimilar from those found in non-diabetic arteriosclerosis. Our findings favor the hypothesis that after some years and by affecting fatty acid metabolism, higher levels of cupremia enhance the appearance of diabetic vasculopathy.