Cyclic relationships between diabetic nephropathy and cardiovascular risk factors

The most common cause of death in diabetes is cardiovascular. Diabetic nephropathy has an important role in cardiovascular disease among susceptible diabetic patients. What is not well appreciated is that independent cardiovascular death risk factors (e.g., hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemias and microalbuminuria) may each have a cyclic relationship with diabetic nephropathy. Thus, as discussed in this review, each risk factor may aggravate diabetic nephropathy, increasing the likelihood of end-stage renal disease. Diabetic nephropathy in turn may aggravate each of the risk factors, increasing the likelihood of a cardiovascular event. These cardiovascular risk factors, amplified by vicious cycles with diabetic nephropathy, may then lead to accelerated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.