CARDIOVASCULAR DYSFUNCTION IN INSULIN-DEPENDENT AND NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT ANIMAL-MODELS OF DIABETES-MELLITUS

Morbidity in the diabetic population is primarily a result of cardiova scular dysfunction and failure. Ischemic heart disease is a serious co mplication in the diabetic population. Recent data indicate that heart s from insulin-dependent models of diabetes differ significantly in th eir response to ischemia from hearts of models of non-insulin-dependen t diabetes. Intrinsic cardiac factors may be responsible for the alter ed sensitivities to ischemia in the different types of diabetes. Howev er, vascular dysfunction is also clearly present in the diabetic anima l models. Endothelial cell damage and dysfunction play a prominent rol e in the contractile abnormalities and lesion formation during diabete s. The present treatise focusses upon insulin as a causative factor in cardiovascular disease and the differences between insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent models of diabetes.