[The coronary atherosclerosis of the diabetic]

Diabetes mellitus is one of the main risk factors of coronary atherosclerosis. The relative risk of cardiovascular disease is 2 to 4 times higher in type II diabetes than in the general population. The number of cases, especially type II, is increasing, especially as the definition of diabetes has been changed recently by the specialist scientific societies (American Diabetic Association, World Health organisation and ALFEDIAM) to include all patients with fasting glucose levels > or = 7 mmol/L on two occasions. Therefore, in the next 25 years, the number of diabetic patients will probably double, not only because of this new definition but also because of the combined effects of an ageing population, dietary changes (with an increase in obesity) and a progressively more sedentary and urbanized life-style in the so-called "emerging" countries.