The post-prandial state and macrovascular disease: relevance to diabetes mellitus

There is increasing evidence that the post-prandial state is an important contributing factor to the development of atherosclerosis. In non-diabetic subjects the atherosclerotic risk factors comprised in the categories of lipids, coagulation system and endothelial function may be adversely modified in the post-prandial phase. The generation of an oxidative stress may be the common pathway through which eating may induce these alterations. In diabetic patients these phenomena may be amplified by post-prandial hyperglycemia. There is a growing thought that diabetes is a cardiovascular disease.