[Blood rheology abnormalities in diabetes mellitus]

The diabetic microangiopathy does not arrive accidentally. Since few years numerous hemorheological abnormalities have been described among diabetic patients. The results of these works are often contradictory. In diabetes mellitus, the red cell and whole blood filterability are decreased. The purpose of this work is to resume the works know today about the diabetes types (ID or NID), the diabetes seniority, the glucose control quality, arteriosclerotic complications (peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy), deformability of erythrocytes. The metabolic state of diabetic patients red cells is like premature ageing red cells (decreased level of red cell ATP concentration, increased of red cell 2, 3-DPG level). Other hemorheological parameters are disturbed: whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, platelet aggregation and adhesion. Insulin activity or level or "insulinisation" has a main part in opposition to glucose level.