The Benefits of Tight Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with significantly increased risk of microvascular and macrovascular disease. Although most studies have focused on the microvascular complications of diabetes (eg, nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy), most patients with type 2 DM die from causes that are related to macrovascular disease (eg, myocardial infarction). Poor glycemic control increases the risk of future cardiovascular events, and prospective studies of patients with type 1 and type 2 DM have demonstrated that the incidence of vascular complications is reduced by lifestyle modifications or medications that reduce blood glucose concentrations.