Diabetic Angiopathy: New Experimental and Clinical Aspects

The term diabetic angiopathy was introduced by the Aarhus professor Knud Lundbæk 50 years ago as a specific vascular disease [1]. It was soon adopted universally and recognized to be the leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients [2] [3]. Tight metabolic and blood pressure control are milestone interventions in the treatment of micro- and macrovascular complications in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes [4] [5] [6] [7]. However, despite implementation of concurrent intensified glycemic and blood pressure control, vascular diabetic complications remain a major clinical problem in these patients. Accordingly, there is a persistent need for development of new therapeutic strategies, and therefore that new knowledge of mechanisms and development of new interventions are constantly needed [8].
The review articles in this Special Issue of Hormone and Metabolic Research are based on presentations given at an International Symposium on Diabetic Angiopathy held in conjunction with the celebration of the University of Aarhus’ 75^th Anniversary in December 2003. The reviews cover new experimental and clinical aspects of diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, vascular dysfunction, diabetic foot ulcers and diabetic macroangiopathy. A brief description of each contribution is given below.

References

• 1 Lundbæk K. Diabetic angiopathy - a specific vascular disease.  Lancet. 1954;  I 377-379
• 2 Laakso M, Lehto S. Epidemiology of macrovascular disease in diabetes.  Diabet Rev. 1997;  5 294-315
• 3 Gu K, Cowie C C, Harris M I. Mortality in adults with and without diabetes in a national cohort of the U.S. population, 1971 - 1993.  Diabet Care. 1998;  21 1138-1145
• 4 The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus . The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group.  N Engl J Med. 1993;  329 977-986
• 5 Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33) . UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group.  Lancet. 1998;  352 837-853
• 6 Gæde P, Vedel P, Larsen N, Jensen G V, Parving H H, Pedersen O. Multifactorial intervention and cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.  N Engl J Med. 2003;  348 383-393
• 7 Influence of diabetes on 5-year mortality and morbidity in a randomized trial comparing CABG and PTCA in patients with multivessel disease: . the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI).  Circulation. 1997;  96 1761-1769
• 8 Schrijvers B F, De Vriese A S, Flyvbjerg A. From hyperglycemia to diabetic kidney disease: The role of metabolic, hemodynamic, intracellular factors and growth factors/cytokines.  Endocrine Reviews. 2004;  25 971-1010