Abstract
It is well established that diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and tight glycemic control decreases CVD. Most physicians continue to depend on HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose levels as indicators for glycemic control. Increasing evidence suggests that increased postprandial glucose excursion is a strong contributing factor to the development of atherosclerosis and an independent risk factor for CVD in patients with or without diabetes. Glycemic excursions could exert their effects through oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, or formation of advanced glycation end-products. Several controlled interventional clinical trials have shown that treating postprandial hyperglycemia may have a beneficial effect on the endothelium and may reduce cardiovascular events. It is recommended that postprandial hyperglycemia be considered an important cardiovascular risk factor corresponding to other well known CV risk factors and should be monitored and managed properly.
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