Summary

“Let's get one thing clear,” said Mark Creager, MD, Harvard Medical School. “Diabetes is a cardiovascular disorder.”

Dr. Creager reviewed links between hyperglycemia and endothelial dysfunction, including the interplay of free fatty acids that increase oxidative stress. “Hyperglycemia activates signaling events at the endothelial level we'd just as soon never got started,” he said. “Ultimately, hyperglycemia has a direct effect on thrombosis and fibrinolysis.”