Arritmias en la diabetes mellitus tipo 2: epidemiología y fisiopatología.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is recognized as a very important public health problem given its high prevalence and elevated morbidity and mortality. Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in patients with DM2, a list headlined by ischemic events; however, arrhythmias, also contribute notoriously to the mortality attributable to DM2. In general, the risk of developing an arrhythmia is much greater in the diabetic population in comparison with the general population. Although the most prevalent arrhythmia in diabetics is sinus tachycardia, it should be noted that blocks and atrial fibrillation are also frequent in this population. This is a key point, as having any kind of arrhythmia significantly increases the risk of sudden death, which has been demonstrated to be much more frequent in diabetics. Although the origin of arrhythmias in the context of DM2 has many pathophysiologic components, fluctuations in glycemia and oxidative stress appear to play the most important role. In order to reduce the incidence of arrhythmias through therapeutic measures, further research is needed to selectively approach these arrhythmogenic mechanisms. The objective of this review is to evaluate the pathophysiologic mechanisms related to DM2 that originate cardiac rhythm disorders; and to analyze their epidemiology in diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]