Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that has become a global epidemic, affecting millions of individuals worldwide and the global prevalence of the disease is expected to increase. Diabetes is associated with substantial mortality, morbidity, and healthcare expenditure.

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in individuals with diabetes and the largest contributor to the overall cost of diabetes. More than 60% of deaths in patients with diabetes have an underlying cardiovascular cause. Patients with diabetes have 2- to 4-fold higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than individuals without diabetes.

Atherosclerosis has long been recognized as the main causative factor for cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes. Emerging evidence suggests that changes in circulating blood (e.g., inflammatory mediators, altered platelet function, hypercoagulability, hypofibrinolysis, and microparticles) and myocardial factors (e.g., altered metabolic state and neural and vascular impairment) may also play equally important roles in the pathophysiologic process underlying the increased propensity for cardiovascular disease in individuals with diabetes.

We invite authors to present original research articles as well as review articles shedding light on both basic and clinical research regarding the development and progression of the interactions between diabetes, heart, and vessels. Reviews that summarize the results of the latest clinical trials and their implications on treatment practice are particularly welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Epidemiology of diabetes and diabetic vascular complications
• Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk
• Pathophysiology of atherothrombosis in diabetes
• Antidiabetic therapies in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes
• Diabetic cardiomyopathy
• Prevention of vascular complications of diabetes
• Diabetes and chronic coronary artery disease
• Diabetes and acute coronary syndromes
• Diabetic peripheral vascular disease
• Future research trends