These results indicate that experimental diabetes causes a depression of several water-soluble vitamins in various tissues of rats. The incidence of neuropathy shows a strong correlation with the duration of the diabetic state, but not with sex, nor with concomitant diseases such as adipositas, hypertension, heart and circulatory diseases, except retinopathia diabetica. Adipose patients have neither a markedly different vitamin content nor a different calory uptake from non-adipose patients. The influence of therapy on the vitamin pattern is not clear cut, except for patients under diet and biguanide-therapy showing a higher proportion of low or subnormal B12 values. The increased frequency of neuropathies in patients treated with sulfonyl-urea approaches only the limits of significance and needs further investigations.
Dietary factors can play a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis.
High fat, high calorie diets are well known risk factors for this disease. In addition, there is strong evidence that dietary animal proteins also can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Atherogenic effects of animal proteins are related, at least in part, to high levels of methionine in these proteins. Methionine and homocysteine metabolism is regulated by the cellular content of vitamins B6, B12, riboflavin and folic acid. Therefore, deficiencies of these vitamins may significantly influence methionine and homocysteine levels and their effects on the development of atherosclerosis.