New insights into diabetes-induced cardiac pathology

K L Weeks; B C Bernardo; J R Bell; L M D Delbridge; K M Mellor

doi:10.1016/j.yjmcc.2025.04.008

New insights into diabetes-induced cardiac pathology

J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2025 Jun:203:76-81. doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2025.04.008. Epub 2025 Apr 20.

Authors

K L Weeks¹, B C Bernardo², J R Bell³, L M D Delbridge⁴, K M Mellor⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: kate.weeks@unimelb.edu.au.
² Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

PMID: 40262687
DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2025.04.008

Abstract

Individuals with diabetes have an elevated risk of heart disease, and there is a significant clinical need for evidence-based treatments. Heart disease in diabetes manifests as a distinct cardiopathology, with cardiac structural and functional remodeling underlying increased susceptibility to cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmias. An understanding of the mechanisms associated with cardiac vulnerability in diabetes is incomplete, but recent studies have advanced new insights into the roles of metabolic disturbances, gene dysregulation and epicardial adipose influence. This perspective article highlights these three promising new developments in proposed mechanisms, and discusses exciting advances in cardiac-targeting for potential treatment of diabetic heart disease.

Keywords: Adeno-associated viral vector; Cardiac gene delivery; Cardiac metabolism; Diabetic heart disease; Epicardial adipose; Non-coding RNA.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Diabetes Mellitus* / metabolism
Diabetes Mellitus* / pathology
Diabetic Cardiomyopathies* / metabolism
Diabetic Cardiomyopathies* / pathology
Heart Diseases* / etiology
Heart Diseases* / metabolism
Heart Diseases* / pathology
Humans
Myocardium / metabolism
Myocardium / pathology