OBJECTIVE To elucidate the degree and characteristics of cardiac autonomic nervous dysfunction in diabetic patients associated with a mitochondrial DNA mutation at base pair 3243. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We investigated heart rate variability using 24-h Holter monitoring in 10 diabetic patients with the mutation compared with 55 ordinary diabetic patients and 45 nondiabetic control subjec...

There is clear evidence that diabetic patients constitute a group at high cardiovascular risk. Epidemiologic data show that with the aging of the European population, the percentage of diabetic patients will increase in the upcoming years, with important consequences for cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, the question arises, “How aggressive should prevention with statins and aspirin in diabe...

BACKGROUND Diabetic women are five times more likely to develop congestive heart failure compared with two fold for men. The underlying mechanism for this gender difference is not known. Here we investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for this female disadvantage and attempt safeguarding cardiomyocytes viability and function through restoration of pro-survival Pim-1. METHODS AND RESU...