Methylglyoxal, the glyoxalase pathway and advanced glycation endproducts in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease

People suffering from type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop arteriosclerosis and are at sharply increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A possible explanation is that in people suffering from diabetes a higher number of sugared proteins (advanced glycation endproducts) accumulate in vascular calcifications, a process with damaging effects. This dissertation describes the relation between higher blood levels of sugared proteins and a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in people suffering from type 2 diabetes. Higher levels of sugared proteins in vascular calcifications are linked to a higher degree of inflammation and tissue necrosis from arteriosclerosis. Inhibiting the formation of sugared proteins may prevent cardiovascular disease and measurements of sugared proteins may improve predictions of cardiovascular disease in people suffering from type 2 diabetes