Risk factors for coronary heart disease in diabetes mellitus.

A review of the putative risk factors associated with the development of coronary heart disease in diabetes is presented. Emphasis is given to the effect of nephropathy (persistent proteinuria) and hypertension on cardiovascular mortality in IDDM. Risk factors associated with CHD in NIDDM are also reviewed. Finally, possible reasons to explain the increased incidence of CHD associated with proteinuria in IDDM patients, including lipoprotein abnormalities, increased fibrinogen levels, increased platelet adhesiveness, and altered hemostatic variables, are discussed.