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Microvascular Perfusion and Transport in the Diabetic Heart
Author(s) -
McDONAGH PAUL F.,
HOKAMA JASON Y.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
microcirculation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.793
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1549-8719
pISSN - 1073-9688
DOI - 10.1111/j.1549-8719.2000.tb00118.x
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetes mellitus , microcirculation , cardiology , oxidative stress , perfusion , pathophysiology , heart disease , disease , endothelial dysfunction , coronary heart disease , endocrinology
Diabetes is a chronic disease of metabolic dysfunction that is increasing worldwide. The hyperglycemia associated with diabetes causes significant protein alterations and an oxidative stress. In the heart, all cell types are affected by diabetes; the myocyte, the vasculature and the blood cells. Four out of five diabetics die from ischemic heart disease and stroke, suggesting that the diabetic is quite vulnerable to ischemic injury. It is important to understand the pathophysiologic changes that occur in the diabetic heart in order to develop thoughtful treatments to limit this serious complication. This review focuses on the anatomical and functional alterations that occur in the diabetic circulation of the heart, with emphasis on the coronary microcirculation. Coronary microvascular dysfunction combined with blood cellular alterations are presented to explain the amplified oxidative stress that occurs in the diabetic heart under ischemic conditions.