Effects of acute hyperglycaemia on cardiovascular homeostasis: does a spoonful of sugar make the flow-mediated dilatation go down?

Abstract

Patients with diabetes mellitus are at substantially increased risk for adverse outcomes in association with occurrence of acute coronary syndromes (1) and in the presence of atrial fibrillation (2). Although the occurrence of acute myocardial dysfunction in the presence of hyperglycaemia has been shown to be associated with poor short-term outcomes, the issue of the contribution of instantaneous (or recent) elevation of blood sugar level (BSL) to this risk remains incompletely evaluated. Currently there is only fragmentary understanding of the potential nexus between elevation of BSL and thrombotic diathesis.