Diabetic Angiopathy

What is Diabetic Angiopathy?

Basically it is diseases of the blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) which are caused by the chronic disease of diabetes. Diabetic angiopathy is the most prevalent and best known type of angiopathy. The major symptoms of diabetic angiopathy are usually:

• Pain
• Inflammation
• Swelling

The most common type of vascular disease is high blood pressure. Other types are coronary heart disease, stroke, and rheumatic heart disease. Other forms include arrhythmias, diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries, congenital defects, valvular heart disease, disease of the pulmonary system and diseases of the veins and lymphatics. Diabetes can cause some of these diseases by causing the inflammation of the blood vessels or by contributing to the build up of fatty plaque within the blood vessels themselves.

All of this is caused by poorly controlled blood glucose levels in diabetics.

Diabetic Angiopathy Types

There are 2 kinds of angiopathy:

Microangiopathy

Occurs when smaller blood vessels walls become weak and thick, so much they leak protein, blood and slow the blood flow in slowed.

Macroangiopathy

This is when fat and blood clots build in the largest vessels of the blood, and stick to the walls of the vessels and block the blood flow.

This decrease of the flow of blood either through stenosis or clot formation impairs oxygen flowing to cells and other biological tissues and can lead to the death of these tissues (necrosis and gangrene).

So, in those tissues which are extremely sensitive to correct oxygen levels, such as the retina in the eye, microangiopathy can cause blindness. Damage to the cells in the nerves can cause peripheral neuropathy and to the cells of the kidneys, diabetic nephropathy.

On the other side, macroangiopathy can cause other complications, such as ischemic heart disease, stroke and disease of the peripheral vascular system which can contribute to diabetic foot ulcers and also the risk of amputation.

Diabetic angiopathy is probably the cause of many of the more serious complications of diabetes. It can be controlled by constant monitoring and control of the blood glucose levels in the diabetics’ system.

Other areas of concern which need to be monitored are:

Obesity

Reaching and maintaining your optimum body weight.

Little Physical Activity

Any kind of physical activity, whether gardening, sports, housework, or physical activities related to work are similarly helpful. In other words, don’t just become a couch potato – your body needs to move.

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

If a person has hypertension as well as diabetes, which is a frequent combination, the danger of cardiovascular problems doubles.

Dyslipidemia

This is problems with cholesterol and triglyceride levels being out of control causing the build up of plaque in the arteries

Diabetic Angiopathy Prevention

The main ways to prevent diabetic angiopathy is to monitor and keep in normal levels the following:

• Blood glucose levels
• Weight
• Exercise
• Blood pressure levels
• Cholesterol levels

This is just another example why diabetics need to make a life long commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.