Diabetes Mellitus and Peripheral Vascular Disease

ABSTRACT

Chronic complications or the long-term side effects ofdiabetes mellitus includes microvascular complications whichaffects smaller blood vessels such as retinopathy, nephropathy,neuropathy and macrovascular complications which affectslarger blood vessels supplying the heart, brain, and extremities.Prevalence of Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) in diabetesranges between 20% and 30%. Endothelial cell dysfunction,vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction, inflammation,impaired platelet function and abnormal coagulation are theother key factors in progression of PVD in diabetes. AnkleBrachial Index can be used as a screening tool at regularintervals. Apart from the intensified multifactorial treatmentof all modifiable risk factors, intensive therapy targetedat glycemic control and other modifiable cardiovascularrisk factor is needed to prevent micro and macro vascularcomplications of diabetes, especially PVD.