Diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is the most important complication of diabetes and diabetes is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis develops more rapidly and at an earlier age in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic people. Although a number of cardiovascular risk factors are more common in diabetic than non diabetic people, these do not entirely account for the increased frequency of cardiovascular disease. The identity of the additional factor or factors which result in increased atheroslerosis in diabetes is unknown but attention should be paid to the role of glycated lipoproteins and of hyperinsulinaemia. In treating diabetic patients, attention should be paid to cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidaemia and hypertension as well as to the control of blood glucose.