Pulmonary thromboembolism and diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has an increasing prevalence worldwide, it is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Vascular complications of diabetes are important causes of morbidity and mortality among diabetic patients. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common circulatory disorder in Western populations, and pulmonary embolism the third most common cause of death from cardiovascular disease after heart attack and stroke.Diabetes may facilitate thrombosis through activation of the coagulation system and impairing fibrinolysis, thus leading to a hypercoagulable state and is coupled with other prothrombotic factors such as chronic inflammation, enhanced oxidative stress, and decreased expression of protective endothelial factors. Several epidemiological and clinical studies have investigated the correlation between DM and VTE, but the results were conflicting. Some reported a positive association between diabetes and risk of VTE, whereas others failed to detect a significant relationship. This review summarize the current state of the literature on the link between diabetes and risk of VTE.