Diabetes and its complications
Diabetes can lead to cardiovascular damage in a number of ways. These processes do not develop independently, as each may accelerate or worsen the others. This means that when people with diabetes develop for example a heart attack or stroke, the prognosis is worse than for people without diabetes because of the vicious cycle caused by the combined vascular abnormalities associated with diabetes.
There are a number of types of this condition and a range of reasons for people to develop it. It can be a serious cause of concern, as damage to the blood vessels can lead to consequences ranging from stroke to loss of a limb.
All types of diabetes can lead to diseases within the heart and circulatory system. In many people with diabetes these different factors co-exist resulting in progressive damage to the heart and blood vessels. The two main processes which lead to cardiovascular disease are atherosclerosis and hypertension.