Microvascular complications are the forms of organ damage in diabetes that result from injury to the smallest blood vessels, the capillaries, arterioles, and venules, caused by chronic exposure to elevated blood glucose. Sustained hyperglycemia damages the endothelium and surrounding cells through mechanisms includi…
Microvascular complications are the forms of organ damage in diabetes that result from injury to the smallest blood vessels, the capillaries, arterioles, and venules, caused by chronic exposure to elevated blood glucose. Sustained hyperglycemia damages the endothelium and surrounding cells through mechanisms including the formation of advanced glycation end products, oxidative stress, and activation of injurious metabolic pathways, leading to thickening of the capillary basement membrane, altered blood flow, and progressive loss of microvascular function. The classic microvascular complications affect three target tissues. Diabetic retinopathy damages the retinal microvasculature and is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness. Diabetic nephropathy injures the glomerular capillaries, producing proteinuria and declining kidney function that can progress to renal failure. Diabetic neuropathy reflects damage to nerves and their supplying vessels, causing sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction that, in the feet, predisposes to ulceration. These complications share common pathophysiology, often coexist, and their risk rises with the duration and degree of hyperglycemia, making glycemic control central to prevention. Management combines control of glucose, blood pressure, and lipids with screening for early organ damage and targeted treatments. Research draws on clinical studies and on molecular and network-based approaches, including pharmacological prediction and the search for protective agents, to understand and interrupt the pathways driving microvascular injury.
5 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 5 articles above have been cited 21 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Complications (Microvascular), linking to each citing work.