03 July 2007

How to stop diabetes wreaking lasting havoc

Hyperglycemia continues to do harm long afterwards.
It causes mitochondrial proteins to become attached to glycans. This impaired their function and makes them produce reactive oxygen species.

The changes to the cellular proteins are not reversible, and they continue to pump out these molecules even when glucose levels have returned to normal.

The reactive molecules could be neutralised by antioxidants such as alpha-lipoic acid, or injections of vitamin C, or a blood-pressure-lowering drug called telmisartan.

These compounds can counteract the 'memory' because they work inside cells to block free-radical production.

Patients would have to take such antioxidants for life, to mop up the continuous production of free radicals

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