Glucose Homeostasis and Cardiovascular Alterations in Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly prevalent disease associated with a high morbidity and mortality burden. Many of the adverse outcomes secondary to diabetes occur as a result of the impaired glucose homeostasis and pathophysiological alterations to the cardiovascular system. The purpose of this overview is to broadly discuss many of the changes that occur in the context of diabetes that affect cardiovascular function. Following a brief introduction to the classification and etiologies of the various forms of diabetes, the mechanisms of impaired glucose homeostasis will be covered. Vascular endothelial dysfunction, which has been posited to play a major role in the development of target organ pathology, will be addressed, followed by a discussion of the effects of diabetes on the renal, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems.