[Medical treatment of diabetic arteriopathy]

Medical care of arteriopathy of leg in a diabetic patient involves control of diabetes combined with a series of non specific measures applicable to all atheromatous arteriopathies. Allowance must be made for the often silent nature of the arterial lesion, explicable by the associated peripheral neuropathy and the site of the lesions, generally more distal or staged than in non diabetics. A stable blood sugar level must be obtained to provoke improvement in hemorrheologic parameters and to slow the atheromatous process. A dietary regimen is associated with oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin therapy, the latter systematically for trophic disorders, administered as multiple injections or by insulin pump until complete healing is obtained. Insulin therapy normalizes abnormal blood lipid levels secondary to an uncontrolled diabetes. Other vascular risk factors (primary hyperlipoproteinemia, hypertension, smoking) must be allowed for. Of major importance in these patients at risk are foot hygiene, prevention of local trauma and correction of plantar anomalies. Aggravating factors in patients with arteritis are diabetic neuropathy and foot deformities. Regular walking is encouraged. Drug therapy (oral or injectable vasoactive agents, platelet antiaggregants, prostacyclin, normal blood volume restoration) depends on the severity of the arteriopathy and any complications. Analgesics are often required in advanced stages. Local therapy and sometimes antibiotics are necessary for trophic disorders. The frequent asymptomatic character up to the stage of gangrene should not, because of the diabetic diathesis, induce a wait and see attitude, and revascularization by angioplasty or shunt operation should be envisaged. A frequent complication of sugar diabetes, arteriopathy of the leg should be diagnosed early before it is revealed by a gangrenous lesion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)