Inflammation and its relationship to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and endothelial dysfunction.

In the past decade, clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological research have coalesced to give rise to a new paradigm for understanding type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In this review, we present data that DM has an inflammatory etiology and that inflammation plays a role in diabetic complications, especially cardiovascular disease. This new paradigm offers insight into the relationship between DM and obesity. It also suggests possible new avenues of treatment.