Glycaemic control and macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetes.

摘要

Several large prospective trials have shown that an improvement in glycaemic control results in a significant reduction in the microvascular complications of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and such complications are thus established as being the consequence of hyperglycaemia.12 While these complications constitute the most important causes of blindness, end-stage renal failure and peripheral neuropathy, the most important cause of mortality in diabetes is macrovascular disease, which leads to a marked increase in cardiovascular events.3 Approximately 70% of patients with diabetes are likely to die of a cardiovascular event, compared with 45% of those without diabetes. Clearly, therefore, macrovascular disease or atherosclerosis is an important challenge in this context, more so since the incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes are increasing relentlessly.