Endothelial glycocalyx is damaged in diabetic cardiomyopathy: angiopoietin 1 restores glycocalyx and improves diastolic function in mice.

Aims/hypothesis: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious and under-recognised complication of diabetes. The first sign is diastolic dysfunction, which progresses to heart failure. The pathophysiology of DCM is incompletely understood but microcirculatory changes are important.