ABSTRACT
Extensive epidemiological work has been carried out to determine the characteristics of atherosclerosis in man. Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death no matter the sex or race of the subject. Females appear to have some protection from atherosclerosis in comparison to males. The fact that atherosclerosis represents a significant clinical problem to the diabetic population is well known. Identification of any differences in the features of the atherosclerotic disease process in diabetics and nondiabetics would yield potentially useful information regarding the pathogenesis of this vascular abnormality. The atherosclerosis appears to be distributed more diffusely throughout the cardiac vasculature. Diabetics have more coronary vessels involved in the atherosclerotic process but their condition is no more inoperable than the nondiabetic patient with coronary heart disease. The morphological appearance of the atherosclerotic lesion itself is similar in diabetics and nondiabetics. The association of cholesterol with the atherosclerotic disease process has been long recognized.
