It is known that patients with diabetes face a higher risk of cardiovascular complications. However, with new treatment approaches, many of them can be successfully treated, prolonging the patient’s life and improving their quality of life. One of the most investigated areas of research in this field has been cardiac complications in diabetes, such as heart ischaemia or heart failure. This is because these diseases are life-threatening, as well as there being more knowledge about their pathogenesis and typical symptoms, which facilitates the choice of therapeutic treatment. According to this, many caregivers, physicians, and patients are convinced that cardiac disease in diabetes is the most frequent complication.

However, recent research has revealed that among patients who suffered from type 2 diabetes mellitus, the most common presentation of cardiovascular disease was peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which appeared at a greater frequency than heart failure or heart ischaemia. Ischaemia of the legs is not only a sign of simultaneously developing ischaemic heart disease but can also mutilate the patient much more than heart disease if amputation occurs. Manifestations of PAD are often asymptomatic, mainly if neuropathy exists together with ischaemia, constituting a higher risk of amputation in patients with diabetes. Some studies have suggested that new anticoagulants can reduce the risk of amputation, while new hypoglycaemic agents can be responsible for an increased risk.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the pathogenesis, clinical picture, and treatment of PAD (peripheral arterial disease) in patients with diabetes. We welcome articles that are dedicated to new approaches in conservative treatment, such as new oral anticoagulation agents (NOACs), and surgical approaches. Manuscripts about the potential role of the leukotriene pathway in diagnosis and re-occlusion in the follow-up period after surgery are also strongly encouraged. Also invited are papers analysing the impact of various risk factors on the course of peripheral arterial disease, as well as the impact of new hypoglycaemic drugs on the risk of amputation.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Peripheral arterial occlusive disease pathogenesis in diabetes
• Conservative treatment of PAD in patients with diabetes
• Surgical procedures for treating PAD in patients with diabetes
• Potential side effects of hypoglycaemic medication on leg ischaemia
• PAD risk reduction in patients with diabetes