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Review
. 2017 Apr 28;9(5):437.
doi: 10.3390/nu9050437.

The "Metabolic Memory" Theory and the Early Treatment of Hyperglycemia in Prevention of Diabetic Complications

Roberto Testa  1 , Anna Rita Bonfigli  2 , Francesco Prattichizzo  3 , Lucia La Sala  4 , Valeria De Nigris  5 , Antonio Ceriello  6   7   8
Affiliations
Review

The "Metabolic Memory" Theory and the Early Treatment of Hyperglycemia in Prevention of Diabetic Complications

Roberto Testa et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Several epidemiological and prospective studies suggest that an early intensive control of hyperglycaemia is able to decrease the risk of diabetic micro- and macro-vascular complications. A growing body of experimental evidence supports the concept that the risk for diabetes complications may be linked to oxidative stress, non-enzymatic glycation of proteins, epigenetic changes, and chronic inflammation, laying the foundation for the "metabolic memory" theory. From a clinical point of view, this theory supports the need for a very early aggressive treatment, with the goal of normalizing metabolic control as soon as possible. It may also prove beneficial to introduce therapeutic agents that are able to reduce reactive species and glycation, in addition to presenting better control of glucose levels in patients with diabetes, in order to minimize long-term diabetes complications. In this review, we evaluate the effect of glucose intake and metabolism in the light of this theory.

Keywords: diabetic complications; metabolic memory; type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interrelationship among high glucose levels, oxidative stress, non-enzymatic glycation of proteins, epigenetic changes, chronic inflammation, and endothelial damage.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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