Levels of natural anticoagulants, antithrombin III and protein C in diabetic vascular disease

ABSTRACT

Accelerated micro and macro vascular thrombotic disease is characteristic of diabetes mellitus. A hypercoagulable state is appreciated in this disease. We studied levels of natural anticoagulants such as Antithrombin III[AT III] and protein C which are factors to counteract the effects of hypercoagulable state. Both AT III and protein C levels were found decreased in diabetics with macrovascular disease suggesting that natural mechanism of anticlot formation are also affected in these patients, thus may be contributing to the thrombotic complications