Diabetic cardiomyopathy: a brief summary on lipid toxicity

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious epidemic around the globe, and cardiovascular diseases account for the majority of deaths in patients with DM. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined as a cardiac dysfunction derived from DM without the presence of coronary artery diseases and hypertension. Patients with either type 1 or type 2 DM are at high risk of developing DCM and even heart failure. Metabolic disorders of obesity and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic environments result in dyslipidaemia and subsequent lipid-induced toxicity (lipotoxicity) in organs including the heart. Although various mechanisms have been proposed underlying DCM, it remains incompletely understood how lipotoxicity alters cardiac function and how DM induces clinical heart syndrome. With recent progress, we here summarize the latest discoveries on lipid-induced cardiac toxicity in diabetic hearts and discuss the underlying therapies and controversies in clinical DCM.

Automated summary

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global epidemic that often leads to cardiovascular diseases and death. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heart dysfunction caused by DM, independent of coronary artery diseases and hypertension. Both type 1 and type 2 DM patients are at a high risk of developing DCM and heart failure. The metabolic disorders of obesity and insulin resistance in type 2 DM lead to dyslipidemia and lipotoxicity, causing damage to organs including the heart. Although various mechanisms have been proposed, it is still not fully understood how lipotoxicity affects cardiac function and how DM induces clinical heart syndrome. In this article, we summarize the latest discoveries on lipid-induced cardiac toxicity in diabetic hearts and discuss the potential therapies and controversies in clinical DCM.