Understanding Diabetes and its Complications for Biomedical Research

The understanding of the human disease(s) of diabetes and its complications and of its applicable animal models has considerable limitations as reflected by papers submitted to pharmacology-type journals and by discussion on various research forums. The major relevant areas are the aetiology and the consequences of diabetes the latter being mostly cardiovascular disease and in that area there is also considerable disparity between the human disease of atherosclerosis and relevant animal models. Models are best used as representative of various but specific aspects of the diabetes cardiovascular disease continuum rather than providing a holistic approach and answers.