Enzymes 'cause blood vessel damage in diabetics'

Research has identified a significant mechanism which appears to contribute to blood vessel damage in people with diabetes.

Scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that the blood vessel damage, a common issue in those with diabetes, appears to involve two enzymes that interact in the cells that line blood vessel walls - fatty acid synthase (FAS) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS).

"We already knew that in diabetes there's a defect in the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels," says first author Xiaochao Wei.

"People with diabetes also have depressed levels of fatty acid synthase. But this is the first time we've been able to link those observations together."

This comes after research published in journal Nature Medicine discovered why those with diabetes experience more damage as a result of stroke.

According to findings, bleeding is increased when blood sugar levels are higher, meaning those with the condition experience more bleeding and over a larger area of the brain.

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