Eye Disease  |  Kidney Disease  |  Nerve Damage  |  Cardiovascular Disease

OPPORTUNITIES IN DIABETIC CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
A diverse and innovative research agenda is needed to alleviate the impact of heart disease on patients with type 1 diabetes.

Understanding factors that contribute to increased cardiovascular risk in diabetes is only the first step. Researchers must now apply these new findings to: design new diagnostic tools that predict or detect the early onset of cardiovascular disease; develop new drugs or devices to reverse cardiovascular damage due to diabetes; and clinically test new therapies in large, randomized trials.

Drugs that block oxidative stress mechanisms have shown promise in preclinical studies in animal models as potential treatments for atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease. More research is needed to move these agents into clinical trials with human diabetic patients.

Research is needed to determine whether existing drugs developed for other indications may have novel applications in the type 1 diabetes population. For example, many individuals are prescribed "statins" which lower the levels of cholesterol in the blood, a major risk factor for heart disease. Researchers are testing whether such drugs can delay the progression of cardiovascular complications in younger type 1 diabetes patients.

Important differences in the onset or progression of cardiovascular disease between type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients need further investigation. Type 2 diabetes is often preceded by a long period of "metabolic syndrome" characterized by insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and obesity, all of which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, the immune system defect in type 1 diabetes may influence the risk of heart disease through very different mechanisms. Understanding the similarities and differences in the causes, progression, and outcome of cardiovascular disease in type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients will help investigators discover more effective therapies for each of these patient groups.

BENEFITS OF THIS RESEARCH
Tackling the problem of heart disease is one of the greatest challenges in diabetes research. As investigators successfully define the diabetes-induced triggers of cardiovascular disease, they can design more targeted drugs to block these triggers or stop the progression of heart damage before it becomes irreversible. Ultimately, this research will improve the health and longevity of patients with any form of diabetes.