Epigenetics and diabetic complications

Diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder of insulin production or uptake, is one of the world's most prevalent chronic disorders. The incidence of diabetes is predicted to rise drastically in the future due to changing lifestyles leading to aging populations, obesity and physical inactivity. Consequently, the incidence of diabetic complications is also expected to rise.These complications include macrovascular diseases such artherosclerosis, microvascular diseases such as retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy, and foot ulcers resulting from impaired wound healing. These complications contribute significantly to the mortality rates amongst diabetic patients. An emerging way of investigating the cause of these complications is by considering how epigenetic changes impact on pathogenesis. Here, research indicating the role of epigenetic mechanisms in diabetic complications including atherosclerosis, nephropathy and diabetic foot ulcers is discussed.