The glycation pathway in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease

The increased formation of glycated proteins (advanced glycation end products (AGE’s)) is a possible mechanism to explain the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases with diabetes. Although earlier (animal) experimental studies have shown this role of AGE’s, research for this dissertation does not establish a connection between AGE’s in the blood and cardiovascular diseases in persons with diabetes type 2. Moreover, there is no definite epidemiologic proof for favourable effects of specific AGE-inhibiting treatments and for decreasing AGE’s in blood by existing treatments. This does not mean that AGE’s are unimportant in the development of diabetes 2 related cardiovascular diseases, but it does mean that the current biomarkers in blood don’t sufficiently reflect damage in tissues as a result of AGE’s. Better biomarkers are therefore needed.