Current Diabetes Reviews - Volume 6, Issue 1, 2010

Individuals with type 2 diabetes have a two to four fold increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease than persons without diabetes. The presence of traditional and nontraditional risk factors that frequently coexist with type 2 diabetes are associated with this higher cardiovascular risk. Diabetes itself has been considered a cardiovascular disease equivalent. Nevertheless, the American Diabetes Association has reco Read More

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the commonest autosomal recessive condition among Caucasian populations, affecting 1 in 2500 live births. The median age of survival has dramatically improved and will reach 40 years for children born in the 1990s. Complications such as cystic fibrosis related diabetes mellitus (CFRD) develop with age, and the median age at diagnosis is 21 years. The prevalence of CFRD progressively increases from 9 Read More

The measurement of glycaemic variation (GV) is conceived to be of clinical significance in determining diabetes outcomes. The debate as to the importance of GV has been complicated by studies using various meetrics of GV in qualitatively different datasets. The purpose of this review is to discuss the properties of 8 of the more commonly used metrics (M-value, MAGE, “J”-index, CONGA, BG rate of change, ADRR, Lability/HY Read More

Current evidence supports a central role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is an inflammatory atherothrombotic condition associated with a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease. In patients with type 2 diabetes, low grade inflammation is reflected by increased plasma levels of several biomarkers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein (CRP). Small increases in CRP pre Read More

Endothelial tight junctions (TJs) in the retina are potential therapeutic targets for diabetic complications such as retinopathy. TJs primarily determine the endothelial barrier, regulating vascular permeability to maintain tightly closed circulating homeostasis. Our recent study has demonstrated that glial cell-derived cytokines limit vascular permeability by modulating the TJ function of retinal capillary endothelium and eventually atten Read More

The worldwide epidemic scale of Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been underestimated for a long time. Currently every 10 seconds one patient dies of diabetes-related pathologies. Given the high risk and prevalence of secondary complications as well as individual predisposition to target organ injury, DM is one of the best examples for the application of predictive diagnostics aimed at preventive measures and personalized treat Read More

Zinc concentrates in islet cells and is related to insulin secretion. Islet cells act as a unit within islets and hormone secretion in the islets is profoundly influenced by paracrine and autocrine regulation. Zinc has been recognised as a candidate paracrine inhibitor of glucagon secretion in α-cells. Further zinc fluxes may contribute to regulation of cell mass, Zn2+ may be cytotoxic and Zn2+ depletion by itself can cause cell Read More